Slayer Shinigami
by angelus cado
Summary: Buffy/Bleach xover. When Buffy dies in Season Five, she ends up in Soul Society. There, she soon realizes that she isn't like the other ghosts wandering Rukongai.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of it, except maybe the plot. Tite Kubo thought up Bleach, Joss Whedon thought up Buffy. No money is being made, so please don't sue.

**Summary:** When Buffy dies in Season Five, she ends up in Soul Society. There, she soon realizes that she isn't like the other ghosts wandering Rukongai.

**Author's Note:** This takes place pre-series for Bleach to begin with, and post Season 5 for Buffy. General knowledge for the entire Bleach series would be a huge asset; while I'm only up to episode 122 or so, that is quickly changing. This is my first Bleach fic, so constructive criticism would be absolutely fabulous.

Flames will be used to melt marshmallows for Rice Krispie squares .

Chapter 1

Buffy stood, a short distance from her friends. They were huddled around someone, something; even though she couldn't see who or what it was, Buffy knew what they were looking at.

They were looking at Buffy's lifeless body.

Buffy sighed; it wasn't as if she'd had a choice. It was either Buffy that jumped off of that platform, or Dawn that jumped off of the platform, and there was no way in hell Buffy would let Dawn do that. Dawn had her whole life ahead of her, and the girl deserved that after all she had been through. Buffy, on the other hand, had resigned herself to her early death, knowing that she had lasted longer than most of the other Slayers. Besides, it had come to a point where she had wanted death, on some level, and while some might consider it the coward's way out, Buffy didn't care. She was deserving of her retirement; too bad her retirement had also meant her death.

Watching her friends fussing over her body, knowing that they wouldn't be able to see her, and that she wouldn't be able to talk to them, Buffy was unaware that something was materializing behind her until it was almost too late. Turning, she saw a large, hulking figure behind her, and was almost hit as she dodged the attack.

Behind her was something Buffy had never seen before. Glancing over at her friends, they seemed unaffected by what was going on about a hundred feet away and assumed that they could neither see nor hear whatever it was that was attacking her. _Looks like I'm flying solo on this one,_ Buffy thought as she just barely dodged another attack. She crouched low, ready to dodge again, and surveyed her opponent carefully, trying to discern any weaknesses there may be.

The figure was massive, at least eight feet tall; bigger than anything else she had fought in a while. The first thing that Buffy noticed was its face; it was almost as if the creature was wearing a mask. It came forward, stalking Buffy and eying her as if she were prey. Suddenly, it stretched its arms out – _It has wings. Crap!_ Buffy thought, panicking – and shot up into the air. Buffy remained on the alert, waiting for the inevitable air attack. The creature dove, heading right towards Buffy. She dodged again, just as the creature hit the ground. Before the creature could attack again, Buffy got on the offence.

_Here's hoping my Slayer powers aren't gone just because I'm dead,_ Buffy thought as she kicked the creature in the head. Even though she could feel her foot connect with the creature's skull, it still sprang to its feet. Buffy weighed her options, and decided that there was only one way that she could get some sort of an advantage. She kicked the creature in one knee, and then the other. The creature fell and Buffy started kicking and punching as much as she could find.

And then, Buffy made the killing blow. She kicked the creature square in the face, splitting the mask and obliterating any face that might have been on the other side. As soon as she did this, the creature dissolved into nothingness.

_Okay, that was weird, _Buffy thought. She had assumed that, because she was dead, the things that went bump in the night would leave her the hell alone. Obviously, she was wrong.

While she had been fighting, her friends had disappeared, along with her body. She wondered who had carried her away; it was one of the men, most definitely, because Dawn, Tara and Willow weren't quite strong enough to do it. As she was wondering who had carried her lifeless corpse from the scene of the crime, another figure entered the scene.

This figure was human in appearance, male, brandishing a sword and wearing black robes. He skidded to a stop, looking around. He spotted Buffy after a moment and pointed at her.

"Hey, you there!" he said, stalking over to her. "Did you see the Hollow that was here?"

"What?" asked Buffy. "And how can you see me? I'm dead!"

"It doesn't matter how I can see you," the man said irritably. "I was called to take care of a Hollow, and I don't see one here and there is no indication of where it went on my sensors. So, have you seen it?"

"I don't know," Buffy replied with a shrug. "What's a Hollow?"

"A Hollow is an evil spirit," the robed man explained, annoyed. "They're usually large, and have white skeletal looking masks."

"Would they sometimes look like eight-foot tall bats?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes, I suppose so," the man said slowly. "Where did it go?"

"It attacked me, I attacked back, I won," Buffy replied with a shrug. "Not a big deal, I do this kind of thing all of the time."

"Let me get this straight," the guy said slowly, collecting the facts and trying to understand them. "You battled with a Hollow and survived, without a zanpaktou?"

"Well, survival is all relative," Buffy replied. "I'm dead, after all. So, now that the Hollow thingy is gone, shouldn't you go too? Because it looks like I did your job for you."

"You must have a high reiatsu," the man said, contemplative. "And I still have to perform the konso."

"Kon - what? What's that" Buffy asked. "And what's ricea? And the Zantacs, that too."

"Konso, reiatsu and zanpaktou," the man corrected, obviously annoyed. "Konso is the ritual that will allow you to pass to Soul Society, reiatsu is the power your soul gives off, and a zanpaktou is this."

The man pulled out his samurai sword from the sheath on his back and held it out in front of him. Buffy gazed at it, clearly impressed; she may be dead, but she was still the Slayer and could appreciate a well made weapon. Even though this guy was brandishing a weapon at her, she felt kind of safe; her Slayer sense wasn't going off. Then again, it hadn't gone off when the Hollow had attacked, either. _Maybe my Slayer senses are gone,_ Buffy mused to herself. _I hope not, if I'm going to keep running into those Hollow things._

"Hello, are you still paying attention to me, or should I just perform the _konso_ and get you to Soul Society already?" the samurai guy asked, annoyed again. Buffy snapped out of her reverie, bringing her full attention back to the guy standing there impatiently, his sword sheathed again and his hands on his hips.

"Sorry, just thinking," Buffy replied with a shrug. "You know, recently dead here and everything… I've got a lot of things to think about."

"Well, where you're going you don't need to worry about a thing," the samurai guy said. "In Soul Society, most everyone forgets what happened to them when they were alive."

Buffy considered that for a moment; she wasn't sure if she was ready to forget everything she knew in Sunnydale. Xander, Willow, Giles, Dawn, her mother, even Spike and all of the other baddies that inhabited the town. Her mother might, just might, be where she was going, but Buffy was sure that hoping to see her mother would be hoping for too much.

"I'm sorry, but you don't have much of a choice," the samurai said, breaking into Buffy's thoughts again. She turned her attention to him once more, and this time the man looked far from annoyed. His harsh expression had softened, and he looked almost sympathetic. "What I mean to say is, you can stay here if you really want to, but it isn't a good idea. You'll turn into a Hollow if you don't allow me to lead you to Soul Society."

While Buffy was reluctant to leave the strange little town that had been her home the last couple of years, she also didn't want to become one of those Hollow things. At least where she was going, she might have some kind of normal life, with new adventures or something like that.

"Beam me up, Scotty," Buffy said with a shrug.

"What?" asked the samurai guy, arching a confused eyebrow. Buffy rolled her eyes; did no one get her pop culture references?

"Nevermind," Buffy replied with a sigh. "What I mean to say, is that I'm ready to go now."

The samurai guy smiled slightly and nodded before taking out his zanpaktou again.

"Kneel, please," he said gently. Buffy obliged quickly, and the samurai guy pressed the handle to her forehead, marking her with some kind of symbol.

She closed her eyes, her body enveloped in warmth as Sunnydale, the stars and everything around her faded into blackness. Buffy felt like she was floating gently in water as she was transported away from Earth, her home and transplanted somewhere on a spiritual plane not accessible to the vast majority of humans. Relaxed, Buffy surrendered herself to just feeling, under the impression that she was going to land perfectly safely at her destination.

That is, until she was dropped unceremoniously into the middle of the dusty street.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. Not making any money doing this. Only for fun, please don't sue me.

**A/N: **Thanks to the peeps who tagged this fic for tracking or put it on their favourites list; it lets me know that people are reading this thing. If you really like the fic, please review; it makes my day just that much brighter.

This chapter was inspired by Episode 119 of _Bleach_. Enjoy.

Chapter 2

Buffy landed unceremoniously on the ground, a loud "oof!" issuing from her lips. She waited for the cloud of dust that had been stirred up upon her landing to settle before trying to move. Surprisingly, the fall alone didn't actually hurt at all, it was more just a shock to her system than anything else.

Groaning, Buffy got to her feet and dusted herself off, surveying her surroundings. She was in, what looked like, the wrong side of town. The buildings were dilapidated and run down and the people looked like they'd seen better days. Everything was drab and depressing, including her clothes; a grey robe-like garment was draped across her form in a comfortable but somewhat unflattering fashion. Surveying the other people nearby, she realized that nearly everyone else was dressed in the same manner.

Buffy began walking, exploring her surroundings. All of the buildings looked the same, and even though the sun was out everything was cast in a sort of grey light. All in all, everything was kind of drab and depressing.

That is, until Buffy saw the crowd.

Buffy jogged to where there was a crowd of people clamouring around something. Fighting her way to the forefront of the crowd, she saw something that she really didn't want to see, but supposed it was inevitable. Two men were fighting, and one was obviously more skilled than the other. The skilled one, a bald man was standing over the other combatant, a smirk on his face.

"I'm going to tell you my name, because someone who is about to die in battle should know the name of the person who defeated them," he said softly. "I am Ikkaku Madarame, prepare to die."

Buffy watched the man laying on the ground; he looked frightened, as if he wasn't prepared to die at all. That wasn't right. It was one thing to bring on a fight to the death and actually expect death to happen in the event of a loss. It was entirely another to be coerced into it, and Buffy had a feeling the guy on the ground hadn't been prepared to die in a fight. Transfixed, she watched as the man on the ground was killed, unable to do anything to stop it. The victor, Ikkaku, stood up when his deed was done, a smirk on his face.

"Any other takers?" he said, resting his sword on his shoulder. "I'll even let you take the first shot, give you a fighting chance."

"I will," Buffy said, stepping forward. Ikkaku looked her up and down once and promptly burst out laughing. Buffy glared at him, which caused him to laugh even harder.

"Well, someone give the little lady a sword and we can get on with this," Ikkaku said with a smirk. As Buffy stepped forward into the circle, someone tossed her a katana. She caught it deftly, testing out its weight. Light, easy to handle and almost perfectly balanced; whoever had made this weapon knew what he was doing.

"Let's do this," Buffy said. Ikkaku's smirk widened into a predatory smile as he slipped into a combative pose.

"Give me your best, little girl," he said, using his hand to make a "come and get me" gesture. "Free opening shot, so make it good. It's the only opening you're gonna to get."

Buffy smiled; she felt like she was in her element. With a smirk that matched Ikkaku's, she rushed at him headfirst. However, instead of launching a frontal attack, when she drew nearer to Ikkaku Buffy leaped into the air and flipped so that she landed behind him. As soon as she landed her leg shot out, kicking Ikkaku in the back and sending him flying into the dirt. Buffy swung her katana, fully intending on getting a couple of good slices in, when she was surprised to hit, not fabric or flesh, but the cold steel of another katana. Ikkaku smirked before pushing Buffy away, causing her to stumble long enough for him to jump back to his feet.

"You're going to have to be quicker than that, girlie," Ikkaku said with a laugh before charging head-on at Buffy, bringing his katana down for a hard strike. Buffy blocked, although she was brought to her knees by the force of the blow. She pushed against him, causing him to stumble back just long enough for Buffy to prepare for another onslaught.

Buffy was able to stay on her feet this time, fending off attacks while looking for an opening. Finding one, Buffy's leg lashed out, catching Ikkaku in the stomach, causing him to sail backwards and land on his behind. Leaping forward, Buffy took aim to land a slash to Ikkaku's chest; he rolled out of the wand and Buffy ended up slicing his arm.

"Lucky hit," Ikkaku said, examining the wound briefly. It was a flesh wound, more annoying than anything else. However, it was one of the only times someone had actually drawn blood while fighting against him, not that he would tell her that.

The fight was evenly matched and went on for hours. Buffy and Ikkaku would counter each other's attacks flawlessly, almost dancing as they fought as one or the other would land a hit every half attacks or so. The crowd began to disperse after they realized that no one was going to die right away, and after a while the only person watching was a man with long black hair wearing a flowered robe.

Buffy breathed hard as she tried to regroup, keeping an eye on Ikkaku as he did the same. They had both taken hits, and Buffy could feel the blood trickling from some of her wounds; she was sure Ikkaku could feel the same thing with his. However, despite the damage she was caused and was causing, she felt exhilarated in a way that she never thought possible. It was amazing to just fight without having to worry about saving the world. Saving her own hide, yeah, but not saving the world.

Buffy just hoped she could continue doing this for a while, that her life end tonight.

"Had enough, girlie?" Ikkaku asked with a smirk. It didn't hurt that the person she was fighting seemed to draw at least as much joy from the battle as she did. His exuberance was infectious. "If ya concede now, I might just let you live, short a limb or two."

"What's the fun in that?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. She was close to the limit, but so was Ikkaku; she could tell that the winner would be decided by the next few blows. "Bring it on, Baldy."

Ikkaku's ever-present smirk morphed into a scowl as he pointed his katana at her.

"I am _not _bald," he said through gritted teeth.

"Folically challenged, then," Buffy countered with a grin. She was sure that if she didn't shut up she just might meet her doom, but it was kind of fun to tease this guy.

"You're gonna pay for that, girlie," Ikkaku said, smirking yet again.

"Bring it on," Buffy replied, her smirk matching his.

With renewed fervour, he attacked as if he were fresh off the block and not into his second fight to the death that day. It was all Buffy could do to block the blows; she was really beginning to regret calling this guy "Baldy" and "folically challenged".

Buffy's mind must have wandered further than it should have from the fight she was in. One moment she was frantically blocking Ikkaku's attacks, the next she had a katana in her gut, Ikkaku's hand on the handle.

"Not so cocky now, are you?" he said as he withdrew the blade. Buffy's eyes widened when she saw the cold steel covered in blood, her blood, before she fell to the ground. "Couldn't keep up, could you?"

Buffy lay there on the ground; she could feel the blood seeping from her wound as she struggled to breathe. She would most likely die there if she didn't get some kind of medical attention, which if her initial assessment of the place she'd ended up was correct, no medical attention was forthcoming.

She watched Ikkaku as he walked away. The long haired guy with the flowered robe met him in the middle, and Buffy strained her ears to hear what they were saying.

"I don't think I've ever seen you that happy," long-haired guy said.

"Best fight I've had in a while," Ikkaku said with a shrug. "Shame it had to end, I was having way too much fun."

"Does it have to end?"

They stopped walking, and Buffy could see hear the two of them talking.

"What are you talking about, Yumichika?" Ikkaku asked warily.

"Do you have to let this one die?" the long haired guy, Yumichika, said. "She made you happy. Besides, she's pretty and you know how much I like pretty people."

Buffy could hear Ikkaku sigh.

"Fine, do with her what you want, but it wasn't my idea," Ikkaku said, turning and continuing forward. Buffy could hear footsteps as Yumichika jogged over to where she lay.

"Come on, up you come, let's make you pretty again," said Yumichika kindly, his voice soft. Buffy looked up and found herself staring into a kind, smiling face.

Buffy was rolled over gently so that Yumichika could take a look at Buffy's wound. He helped patch up Ikkaku whenever he ended up worse for wear, so he had some experience with first aid, even if it did mean getting his hands dirty.

He staunched the blood flow easily and helped Buffy to her feet. Carefully, so as to not aggravate the would, he helped her walk to where he lived with Ikkaku.

In the back of her pain-addled brain, Buffy decided that her afterlife was going to be far from boring, if the first day was any indication of how things were going to be.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Wow, you look like shit," said Ikkaku when Yumichika led Buffy into the little bungalow the two men shared. "You survived that thrashing? I'm surprised."

"You got damn lucky, I could have beaten you Baldy," Buffy said with a weak smile as Yumichika helped her into a low chair. "I'm a hell of a lot tougher than I look, Chrome Dome."

"You're just lucky I didn't kill you, girlie," Ikkaku said before taking a drink of whatever beverage he had.

"You might want to stop commenting on his lack of hair if you want to stay alive," Yumichika whispered into her ear as he tended to her wounds. Buffy glanced at Ikkaku; sure enough, he was scowling at her. "By the way, I'm Yumichika Ayasegawa and he's Ikkaku Madarame."

"What the hell are you doing, telling her my name? D'you think I can't introduce myself or something?" Ikkaku asked, annoyed, before eating some rice. "What do we call you, little girl? 'Cause I don't want to be calling you "little girl" all the time if ya got a real name."

"Yes, calling you "little girl" and "girlie" imply that you are a child, and you're definitely not a child," said Yumichika with a kind smile. "What's your name? I hope it's a beautiful name."

"Buffy, my name is Buffy," Buffy replied, wincing again. "Don't know if it qualifies as 'beautiful' though."

"It's not an ugly name," Yumichika said as he began dressing her wound properly. As he unwrapped the makeshift bandage he had fashioned out of emergency supplies he kept hidden on his person, he looked at the wound with a puzzled look on his face. "Well, that's odd."

"What's odd?" Buffy asked, looking down at her stomach. There was a lot of blood on her robe, enough so that the cloth was probably ruined. While it had been bleeding a lot before, it appeared as if the bleeding had stopped completely.

"You wound," Yumichika replied, moving the fabric of the robe to take a better look. "The bleeding's stopped."

"Doesn't that normally happen when you bandage something up?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. She knew what was going on, but she wasn't sure how these guys would react to it. While specific details of her human life were already beginning to become hazy, she still remembered what she was in that past life, what she still instinctively was – the Slayer.

"Not when the wound's life threatening, ya idiot," Ikkaku said with a roll of his eyes. He leaned over to catch a glimpse at Buffy's wound, and his eyes widened at what he saw. "What the hell is goin' on with that!?"

"I'm a fast healer?" Buffy offered with a weak smile. Both Ikkaku and Yumichika looked at her in disbelief. "Seriously, I am! You kind of have to be when you dealt with the crap I did when I was alive."

"You remember your other life?" Yumichika asked as he wrapped proper bandages around Buffy's torso. While it was healing extraordinarily quickly, there was still the off chance that it could get infected and heal improperly and scar, and he didn't want that to happen.

"I…" Buffy began before halting her speech. She thought for a moment; could she remember her previous life? Well, parts of it she could. She remembered a lot of fighting, dying not once but twice and many, many injuries that would have killed any normal person. But Buffy wasn't a normal person; while she was beginning to forget the details of her life, she instinctively knew what she was. She was the Slayer. "I remember bits and pieces. I remember a lot of fighting; I remember being the Slayer."

"The Slayer?" Ikkaku asked, trying not to laugh and failing horribly. "What kind of lame ass name is that?"

"The Slayer is the only thing that saved the human world from the supernatural," Buffy replied with a huff.

"Or so you believe," Ikkaku retorted, rolling his eyes. "You said it yourself… you don't even remember all of your past life."

"And you do?" Buffy shot back with a snort; she smirked when he snapped his mouth shut and scowled. "Thought so."

"If you believe that you were the Slayer, then I'm not going to stop you," Yumichika said as he finished dressing her wound. "You certainly have some fighting skill; you're the only person who has lasted more than ten minutes in a fight against Ikkaku."

"And she still lost," Ikkaku said with a smirk.

"Still alive, aren't I?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. Ikkaku's smirk fell and he scowled yet again. "You know, if you keep doing that your face is going to stick that way."

"Shut up," he said, glaring at her before going back to his bowl of rice.

"Come on, let's get you to bed, you need to rest," Yumichika interjected, breaking up the argument that would probably lead to an all-out brawl, with Ikkaku's temper. From what he could tell, Buffy had a bit of a temper as well.

Things were about to get interesting, and he decided right then that he liked it.

Reluctantly, Buffy allowed herself to be helped up and led to the other side of the room where a sleeping mat was set up. There was only one other there; it was obvious that they didn't have guests all that often.

"Who gets the other mat?" Buffy asked, curious.

"Either myself or Ikkaku," Yumichika replied with an offhand shrug. "You should worry about getting some rest and healing up, not who has to sleep on the bare floor tonight."

"Thank you," Buffy said suddenly, gratefully. "For everything. For taking me in, for patching me up. Just… thanks."

"It's no problem," Yumichika replied, a genuine smile crossing his features. He turned his gaze to Ikkaku, who was still seated at the low table across the room, eating. "Fighting you made him happy, you know, happier than I've ever seen him. If I can keep him like that, then I'll do what I can to make it happen. Now go to sleep. Let me know if you're hungry in the morning."

Buffy closed her eyes and dropped off to sleep even though it was still rather early in the evening. Yumichika smiled softly at her before getting up and crossing the room, sitting across from Ikkaku.

"She didn't make me that happy, you know," Ikkaku said, slurping up some broth as Yumichika dished out some rice for himself. "You're not getting attached, are you? Because attachments can be seen as a sign of weakness."

"She still made you happy, happier than I've seen you in a while. I think that's reason enough to keep her around," Yumichika argued, pouring himself some tea. "And if I am getting attached? I don't think that's any of your business if I am. Can I help it if I affiliate myself with beauty?"

"What are you going to do, adopt her as your sister?" Ikkaku asked with a smirk. "Give her your last name or somethin'?"

"If she can't remember her own, perhaps," Yumichika said thoughtfully. "The idea has some merit, I have to admit."

"Well, whatever," Ikkaku remarked with a scoff, although he secretly liked the idea of keeping the girl around. Once she was healed up, which probably wouldn't take more than a day or so from what he had seen, he would see if she wanted to spar again. It had been a while since he had fought just for fun with no life and death stakes involved and he found the idea very attractive. It didn't hurt that she was very easy on the eyes. "You can keep the girl around as long as she isn't going to be a freeloader or anything. Since she took my bed, I'm taking yours and you can sleep on the floor until we can get another mat."

"Fair enough," replied Yumichika, smiling softly to himself. He knew that while Ikkaku seemed disagreeable to the arrangement, he was actually quite pleased. Yumichika almost hugged himself in glee; he probably would have if he didn't think it was undignified. "I'm going to go to sleep now; all that has gone on today has quite exhausted me. I'll see you in the morning, wake me if you need me."

"Sure, sure," Ikkaku said absently, his mind elsewhere. Shortly after Yumichika had curled up on the floor under a spare blanket, Ikkaku got up and headed to his mat. He sat on it, no intention of going to bed any time soon, and watched Buffy sleep.

***

I apologize for the length; I stop writing when I think the story reaches a good place to break. Things should start picking up soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Buffy groaned as she woke to someone or something prodding her.

"Five more minutes, Mom," she mumbled, rolling over and burying herself under the blanket. She let out a cry of surprise and awoke completely with a start when someone bodily hauled her to her feet.

"I'm not your Mom, you stupid girl," Ikkaku said by way of greeting before flipping her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Buffy exclaimed, squirming in an attempt to get out of his grasp. "Put me down, you jerk!"

"Yumichika told me to get you up for breakfast," Ikkaku replied as he dumped her unceremoniously at the table. "And there, I put ya down. Happy?"

"Was that really necessary, Ikkaku?" Yumichika asked, making a face before turning his attention to Buffy. "How are you feeling?"

"I _was _sleeping peacefully until _someone _decided that hauling me out of bed was a marvellous idea," Buffy replied with a roll of her eyes. "Seriously, what if you'd re-opened it or something? How would you have felt then?"

"Like you weren't worth my time," Ikkaku replied with a smirk. Buffy huffed and looked like she was about to smack him upside his shiny bald head when Yumichika placed a calming hand on her arm.

"Don't start, not now," he said with a pout. "I like a good fight as much as the next guy, but I want one, just one, pleasant meal. I want to get to know you better; I can't do that if you're paying attention to him, now can I?"

Buffy stuck her tongue out at Ikkaku, who scowled yet again. Buffy surmised that he only had two main expressions; smirking and scowling. Wow, what a range.

"Fine, but if he does one more thing to piss me off, it's on," Buffy replied with a huff.

"Don't tax yourself too much, you're still healing," Yumichika remarked as he handed her a bun of some sort. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving," Buffy replied, grabbing the bun and taking a large bite. Finding that she liked it, the large bean paste bun was gone in three more bites. Yumichika and Ikkaku just stared at her. "What?"

"That… was awesome," Ikkaku said, blinking.

"It's good to see that you're eating," Yumichika said with a smile, glancing over at Ikkaku as the bald man got up. "You need to keep your strength up, little one."

"I need to go and fight," he said quickly, grabbing his katana on the way out. "I'll be gone all day, don't wait up for me."

Before either Buffy or Yumichika could say anything, Ikkaku had bolted from the shack without a backward glance.

"What's wrong with him?" Buffy asked, curious.

"He gets antsy after being still for long periods of time," Yumichika replied with a knowing smile. Buffy arched a curious eyebrow; it was obvious that Yumichika knew something more than what he was letting on. Then again, she gave him no reason whatsoever to trust him; she'd have to earn that.

What Buffy hadn't known was that Ikkaku had stayed up almost all night, watching her sleep. Yumichika had, in turn, been watching Ikkaku to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. He had this inexplicable urge to make sure Buffy would be all right; he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because she had made Ikkaku happy, one of the few people who had, or maybe it was because she was beautiful. Whatever it was, he decided not to question it for now.

"Sure, I believe you," Buffy said with a roll of her eyes.

"You don't have to, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it," Yumichika retorted with a smirk. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Buffy replied. "Still sore, but that'll pass."

"May I see your injury?" he asked. Buffy nodded, leaning back so that Yumichika could remove the bandages and take a good look at the wound on her stomach. To his surprise, it was completely closed and scabbed over, healing nicely.

"Will you look at that," Buffy said, looking down at her stomach.

"Yes, I noticed," Yumichika replied, covering her up again. "Ikkaku will be happy; you'll be up and fighting again in no time. Once he finds this out, he'll be chomping at the bit to battle you again."

"He sure likes fighting, doesn't he?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Mostly, yes," Yumichika replied. Again, Buffy was under the impression that he was withholding information but didn't press the matter. "There isn't much else to do around here; it's all we know."

"Do you fight as well?" Buffy asked, curious. He looked to pretty to know how to spar, but then again so did she so she really shouldn't be judging him.

"I do partake in the beautiful dance of battle, but it is not my whole existence, just a large part of it," Yumichika replied with a soft, somewhat affectionate smile. "Ikkaku usually dispatches the strongest opponents in a district, leaving me to watch most of the time. I don't mind much; it makes him happy, although when a battle doesn't last as long as he wants it to, he'll mope for days."

"Sounds like a real charmer," Buffy muttered under her breath.

"You get used to him after a while," Yumichika replied, still smiling. "Besides, he has you to spar with now; that should make him a little easier to deal with."

"To assume makes an ass of you and me," Buffy retorted. Yumichika looked confused for a moment, trying to figure out the meaning of what she had said. When he did, he let out an amused chuckle.

"Clever little thing, aren't you?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "And I do apologize; it was rude of me to assume that you were going to stay with Ikkaku and myself. I had no right to."

"You, I don't mind," Buffy replied with a shrug. "Baldy needs an attitude adjustment."

"Which I'm sure you would be very good at adjusting," Yumichika said. "His ego needs deflating; he's getting too big for his britches, if you know what I mean, and I think… I think you might be that person to burst his bubble."

"How do you expect me to do that?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I need you to show him that fighting shouldn't be everything," Yumichika replied. "He needs some moderation; I've tried to get him to see that, but he isn't listening to me, probably because he knows I can't beat any sense into him. But maybe you can. I worry about him, although I'd never tell him that to his face. I just don't want him to lose himself in the violence. Besides, it's been so long since we've had some new blood around here; I think, if anything else, you'd be able to keep him on his toes."

"You're not trying to recruit me for some weird, kinky three-way sex thing, are you?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. "Because if you are, I don't care if you're a good cook or you're offering me protection from the big bad world out there, I think I'd rather take my chances with the world."

"No, no, no, it's nothing like that," Yumichika said, laughing nervously and blushing a little. "I have only a fraternal affection for Ikkaku, nothing more. He keeps me around because I can cook. So… tell me about this Slayer thing. It sounds fascinating."

Buffy blinked, stunned into silence at the sudden topic change. She wondered how a discussion about kinky three way sex had anything to do with Slaying, but decided not to think about it. The path those thoughts cut seemed to be a frightening one.

"There's not much to tell," Buffy replied with a shrug. "Into every generation a girl is bestowed with the strength and skill to hunt the evil things that go bump in the night. There is only one Slayer at a time, and they usually have a rather short lifespan because of the nature of the work."

"Is that how you died?" Yumichika asked. He'd never met anyone who had remembered their other life, even if Buffy only remembered pieces of hers. Then again, apart from Ikkaku Buffy was the only person he'd had any kind of lengthy conversation with and Ikkaku was far from talkative.

"I honestly don't remember," Buffy replied after thinking for a moment. "I just remember lots of fighting against things that were bigger and stronger than I was, and winning."

"Did you enjoy it?" Yumichika asked.

Buffy thought about that for a moment, silent as she did so. Had she enjoyed the fighting? Maybe she had, on some level. The adrenaline rush of the battle, the elation of the win were both sensations that couldn't be replicated by anything else. She hadn't liked the idea of being the one forced to go out and fight the forces of evil. However, she had started to look forward to the fights that she got into, and was disappointed when the fledglings would burst into dust far sooner than she would have liked.

"Parts of it," Buffy replied. "I liked the adrenaline rush of the fight and the win made me feel great. A loss just meant that I needed to work harder at getting better."

"Yes, I think you'll fit in great here," Yumichika said with a smile. "Do you feel up for a little bit of light sparring? It would be a shame for you to lose your skills, and I haven't had a good fight in a while. No swords, just hands and feet, and you get to call the shots. Sound fair?"

"Sounds like a plan," Buffy replied, getting to her feet. She was only feeling a residual soreness from her injury, and she was already feeling a little antsy. Besides, he said that she was calling the shots; if she thought it was too much, she could tell him to stop and he supposedly will.

"Let's do this thing, then," Yumichika said, getting to his feet before helping Buffy to her own. She smiled a little at that; it was nice to know that one of the people she was with was a gentleman.

She followed him outside to the front of the shack they were staying in. Buffy idly wondered if they were borrowing, owned or squatting in the shack, but decided not to dwell on it; she would find out soon enough. There was a large, open area just outside their front door; the other villagers stayed back from the shack.

"I'm guessing Ikkaku's personality is well known around here?" Buffy asked, gesturing to the wide berth the villagers gave the hut.

"Something like that," Yumichika replied. What Buffy didn't need to know at that very moment was that Ikkaku had, in fact, killed a great many of the good fighters in this district, and people were giving him a wide berth because he was, to put it bluntly, a complete nutcase. Yumichika suspected that they would be moving on soon, although how soon he wasn't sure of.

"Let's do this thing," Buffy said, slipping into a fighting stance. Yumichika mirrored her movements, and for a few moments they stood there, tense, one waiting for the other to make the first move.

Growing impatient, Buffy launched her attack, coming at Yumichika from the front. He blocked her punch easily, kicking her in counterattack. His foot barely tapped her leg, setting the tone of the fight. Attacks were fast and harmless, barely tapping the opposing combatant's body; blocks were the same way. It wasn't quite as satisfying as pummelling the snot out of someone, but it would do. For now, anyway.

The duo went at this for hours, punching, kicking and blocking. Because it wasn't an all-out brawl, it appeared as if Yumichika and Buffy were engaged in some intricate dance.

It was how Ikkaku found them when the sun was beginning to set. He was covered in blood but grinning like a maniac; it must have been a good day.

"What the hell are you two wussies doing?" he called over to them. They stopped their movements at that moment; although they had been at it for most of the day, the only indication of any exertion was the light sheen of sweat on both of them.

"Sparring," Buffy replied with a shrug.

"Looked like dancing to me," Ikkaku retorted with a smirk, advancing on Buffy. "Want me to show you some real sparring?"

"Not tonight," Yumichika said, coming between Buffy and Ikkaku. While he couldn't deny that Buffy was skilled – had they been really sparring, she would have given him a run for his money – he also knew that she wasn't at full strength; Ikkaku would have, eventually, wiped the floor with her face. "Let's have some dinner, shall we? I don't know about either of you, but I'm starving."

With that, Yumichika led the way back to the hut they were living in. Buffy hurried after him, leaving a now-scowling Ikkaku to bring up the rear.

***

**I'd just like to say a HUGE thank you to the people who have read, reviewed, tracked and marked this story as a favourite. You guys rock my socks. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Note**: Some of the dialogue in this chapter comes directly from Episode 119, although it is the subtitled version from Dattebayo and not an official English dub.

Chapter 5

A week had passed since Buffy had arrived in Rukongai, and she, Yumichika and Ikkaku had already moved to a different district. Since her arrival, Buffy and Yumichika had grown quite close, trading information on each other.

Buffy had learned that Yumichika and Ikkaku had been friends for at least fifteen years; Yumichika had given Ikkaku a good fight and the latter had decided that Yumichika would be a good person to keep around. It didn't hurt that Yumichika was able to find wherever the food was in each district; it was almost a weird instinctual thing. She had also learned that not everyone needed food to survive; most needed only water. Some, like Yumichika, Ikkaku and apparently Buffy, had high spiritual energy which made it necessary for additional sustenance.

"Most spirits with high amounts of energy go through the Shinigami Academy and are placed in one of the thirteen protection squads upon graduation," Yumichika had explained.

"What about the ones that don't?" Buffy asked.

"They're like us, roaming Rukongai until they get fed up with killing or they get killed," Ikkaku replied with a smirk. "Besides, it doesn't sound like a lot of fun to me. Sanctioned fighting, can't kill anyone? No thanks."

"I'm sure you'd find a way to get around that," Buffy retorted with a roll of her eyes. Ikkaku scowled at her and she smirked; over the past week she had taken a large amount of amusement out of annoying Ikkaku. There was little else for her to do, except watch Ikkaku beat the crap out of people or spar with Yumichika, which, by default, annoyed Ikkaku anyway.

"So, are you going to let me spar with you or not?" Ikkaku asked, arching an eyebrow. "I promise I won't kill you. Seriously maim, possibly, but you'll come out of it alive."

"Because you know that'll convince me that getting into a fight with you is a good idea," Buffy replied.

"What, don't you want a rematch?" Ikkaku asked. "Or are you just chicken?"

"Not chicken, I just don't want you to be embarrassed over being beaten by a girl," Buffy replied with a smirk.

"Kind of cocky, aren't you?" Ikkaku asked. "Wanna put your money where your mouth is?"

"Are you going to shut up about it if I do?" Buffy retorted.

She didn't know what it was about Ikkaku, but almost every time he spoke it made her want to smack him upside the head. Almost. There were times, when he was interacting with Yumichika, that she could see he was almost a decent person. Almost. However, whenever he spoke to her, it seemed as if his sole goal was to goad her. Unfortunately for him, she wasn't going to take it lying down and taunted him right back.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't," Ikkaku replied with a shrug, returning her smirk. Now that he was possibly getting somewhere, he was in a very good mood. "There's only one way to find out, girlie."

"Let's do this then, shut you up once and for all," Buffy said, getting up from the low table she was sitting at.

"Are you sure…" Yumichika began, before he caught the determined glint in Buffy's eye. He had only known her for a week, but in that week he had learned that she was frighteningly stubborn. There was this one glint in her eye that told him and anyone around that there was no way in hell she was going to be talked out of her plan of action, and right now her eyes held that glint. He fell silent and followed her out of the hut they had commandeered, wondering how hard they were going to beat on each other, and how big of a mess he would have to clean up later.

"Finally," Ikkaku said with something akin to glee in his voice. He got up and followed Buffy out of the hut, a large grin on his face.

"You're not going to beat me this time," Buffy said as they made their way to the dusty street in front of their shack.

"Let's see about that," Ikkaku retorted, charging at her head on.

Buffy easily sidestepped the attack before kicking Ikkaku in the back, which sent him flying into the ground. Ikkaku quickly jumped back onto his feet, an amused smirk cemented on his features. He then came at her, his fists flying. He punched and kicked at her, seemingly not holding back as Buffy blocked each blow with a proficiency that only came after years of fighting.

"Now this is what I'm talking about," Ikkaku said with a cackle. _He's insane,_ Buffy thought, taking advantage of the brief respite in the attacks to land a kick to his stomach. He went flying, again, landing on his back several feet away.

"Have you had enough yet?" Buffy asked as Ikkaku leapt to his feet.

"You really think I'm gonna give up after that?" Ikkaku retorted, charging again. "I guess you don't know me, girlie."

Ikkaku charged yet again; Buffy wondered if he knew anything about subtlety and sneak attacks. _Probably not,_ Buffy thought. Her mind must have wandered too far, because before she knew it she had a fist to the face, knocking her down.

"Not so confident now, are you?" Ikkaku asked with a smirk, standing over her near her feet. Buffy smirked back as her leg shot out and tangled with his ankles, tripping him. He fell next to her and Buffy rolled on top of him to pin him.

"I think I have every right to be confident," Buffy replied with a grin. Even though she was fighting with him, it didn't seem like fighting. It almost seemed like playing.

"I don't think you do," Ikkaku retorted as he hooked his leg around hers and flipped them over so that he was on top and pinning her.

"Get off of me, Baldy!" Buffy exclaimed, squirming in an attempt to break free. He was heavy; even with her enhanced strength, it would be quite difficult to throw the solid, muscular body off of her. "Unless, of course, you want me to know you _really_ well."

Ikkaku's eyes widened a little as he took stock of the situation. Buffy's eyes were sparkling as a small, smug smirk played on her lips. He jumped to his feet and helped Buffy to her feet before putting a fair amount of distance between them by stalking back to the hut. In what seemed like no time at all, he had his katana in hand and a scowl was firmly back on his face.

"Going to find a worthy opponent, be back later," he tossed over his shoulder, not waiting for a response. Buffy stood there, dumbfounded, as Yumichika walked over to where she was standing.

"I'm going with him," Yumichika said. He glanced at Buffy. "Do you want to come along as well?"

"I think I'll stay here for a while," Buffy replied. "You go, have fun, I'll be fine."

Yumichika didn't look as if he believed her, but turned and followed Ikkaku as he walked away. Buffy watched them go until they turned a corner and were out of her line of vision. Sighing, she turned and went back into the hut, having no reason to remain in the dusty street.

Her day had been uneventful, and by the time sunset was upon her she was beginning to get a little restless. She couldn't quite explain it, but Buffy couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen, and that it was going to happen soon. Making a quick decision, she grabbed her recovered katana from her first fight with Ikkaku and made her way out into the street. The setting sun cast an orange glow on the village as she rushed in any direction that seemed like a good direction; no one bothered with her. She didn't know why, but on future reflection realized that the people she associated with afforded her some kind of immunity in the village.

It wasn't long before she found a crowd of people surrounding what looked to be a rather brutal fight. She caught sight of a flowered robe through the sea of blacks, browns and greys and elbowed her way to the front of the crowd where Yumichika was watching, transfixed.

Sure enough, there was Ikkaku, fighting someone who had to be at least six inches taller than him and seemed to be built of solid muscle. The large man was fast, very fast; Buffy had a hard time tracking his attacks. They both seemed to be enjoying themselves, although Yumichika looked worried. When Yumichika worried about something, it usually meant something bad was about to happen, because he normally had a lot of confidence in Ikkaku's abilities.

"What is this?" Yumichika asked himself. "I can barely see his attacks."

"He's fast," Buffy remarked. Yumichika jumped slightly, but relaxed when he looked down and found Buffy standing next to him.

"Kenny's smiling," said a little voice on the other side of Yumichika. Buffy leaned over to see what the source of the voice was. Sitting next to him on a low wall was a small child with pink hair, a small, contented smile on her face. Her expression turned thoughtful as she continued. "Too bad, though. It's almost over."

Alarmed, Buffy turned her attention back to the fight in front of her. The opponents had separated, standing a short distance from each other. Buffy could see that Ikkaku was covered in cuts, presumably from "Kenny's" jagged blade. Her gaze slid to the larger, dark haired man standing across from Ikkaku, surprised to see that there wasn't a scratch on him.

"That was fun," said Kenny with a smirk as Ikkaku stood in a battle-ready stance, breathing hard. "It's been a while since I really let loose."

It was then that Kenny charged at Ikkaku. Buffy watched as Ikkaku tried to block the attack, but Kenny's jagged sword shattered Ikkaku's, running him through with the blade.

The fight was over.

The crowd dispersed quickly after that; the only people remaining were Buffy, Yumichika and the little girl. She jumped off the low ledge she had been sitting on and ran to Kenny, climbing up him until she reached his shoulder, where she clung. Kenny, along with the little girl, turned and were about to leave when they were stopped by Ikkaku's voice.

"Wait, damn it…"

Buffy was surprised; she hadn't expected him to survive a slash like that. She was a little relieved, although she wouldn't admit it to anyone that she was.

"Huh? You still alive?" Kenny asked, turning back.

"What the hell, man?" Ikkaku asked, angry. "Why don't you finish me off?! You won!"

"I don't give a rat's ass about you now that you can fight," Kenny replied emotionlessly. "And I'm not exactly obligated to kill you, either."

"Don't screw with me!" Ikkaku exclaimed. Buffy could tell that Ikkaku was getting angrier. She glanced over at Yumichika, who was making no move to help. "Are you mocking me?! Kill me!"

Buffy watched the exchange, wondering why, if a win meant killing your opponent, Ikkaku hadn't killed her. She wasn't complaining in any way, shape or form, but it perplexed her. She'd have to ask him about it later. If he survived, that is.

"If you like fighting, then quit bitching about not being killed!" Kenny exclaimed, grabbing Ikkaku by the shirt and hauling him half to his feet. "Don't just accept defeat and beg for death! Accept it after you're dead! If you lose without dying, it means luck was on your side. When that happens, focus on surviving."

"The hell?" Ikkaku asked, his voice holding a note of disbelief.

"Survive and kill the person who couldn't kill you!" Kenny replied, before a smile crossed his face. "It's not like I held back. The only reason you're not dead is because you're lucky. Live! Live, and come try to kill me again."

He dropped Ikkaku then; the bald man fell to his knees. Kenny turned and began walking away. Buffy watched as Ikkaku stared dumbly at his back, only speaking when he was some distance away.

"P-please wait!" Ikkaku all but begged; again, this surprised Buffy. Ikkaku didn't seem like the type to beg for anything. Then again, she'd only known him for a week. "Your name! Please tell me your name!"

Buffy watched with trepidation as Kenny turned, wondering if he'd actually tell Ikkaku his name.

"Kenpachi," he replied. "It's Kenpachi of Zaraki!"

Kenny, now known as Kenpachi, turned and continued on his way not turning back.

"Kenpachi of Zaraki," Ikkaku whispered, watching as Kenpachi and the little girl left. Buffy turned to Yumichika, who looked pensive.

"Should we go and see how he is?" Buffy asked.

"Might be a good idea," Yumichika replied. With that reassurance, Buffy rushed to his side, easily outstripping Yumichika and reaching Ikkaku first.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ikkaku asked, glaring at her.

"Helping you, you big moron," Buffy replied, hauling him to his feet. When he stumbled she caught him, steadying him.

"Should have died," Ikkaku muttered as Yumichika arrived on his other side. Ikkaku leaned heavily on the shorter man, relieving Buffy of the burden of keeping him upright.

"Here, hold this on his wound," Yumichika said, handing Buffy a bundle of cloth. Buffy did as she was told, putting pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.

"And I should have died too, and didn't," Buffy retorted. Ikkaku turned his gaze over on her, surprised. "Oh come on, don't act all surprised. I know you wanted to leave me for dead. I might have been bleeding out, but my hearing worked just fine."

"Then what are you still doing with us?" Ikkaku asked as Buffy and Yumichika began leading them back to their hut.

"I'm waiting for the day where I can beat the crap out of you on my own terms," Buffy joked.

"Don't make him laugh, Buffy, it'll just make him bleed more," Yumichika chided as Ikkaku smirked, amused.

"Fine, I won't," Buffy said with a sigh. She was relieved, though; she'd come to like the rude, impulsive and violent man, probably because she had seen more of him than most did. He was sarcastic and funny; the things he said when he was talking to Yumichika had made her giggle more than once, although she covered it up with a cough when he glared at her. She learned a lot about Ikkaku from Yumichika when she and the latter would talk while Ikkaku was out causing trouble.

"Come on, let's get you home," Yumichika said, patting Ikkaku on the back. Ikkaku leaned heavily on his companions, one arm around Buffy's shoulders and the other around Yumichika's waist, and allowed them to lead him back to their hut.

***


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It had been two days.

Two days since Ikkaku's fight with Kenpachi of Zaraki.

Two days since Ikkaku had gotten his ass handed to him because he decided to go and bother a little girl.

Two days since Ikkaku had been awake.

"Stupid Baldy, making me worry about him," Buffy grumbled as she sat and watched him. He'd been able to get back to the hut all right, although he was leaning heavily on herself and Yumichika, but as soon as they helped him down to his mat he was out like a light.

"Have you slept at all, Buffy?" Yumichika asked, crossing the small hut and sitting next to her. He handed her one of the cups of tea he had before taking a sip of his own.

"Was I supposed to?" Buffy responded, turning to him and arching an eyebrow. She was exhausted, but she couldn't find the energy to lay down and sleep. She couldn't help feel that Ikkaku's injury was somehow her responsibility; after all, what she had hinted to had freaked him out. _Note to self, no more doing the flirting-teasing thing with the bald guy_, she thought with a sigh.

"You don't think this is your fault, do you?" Yumichika asked, glancing at her. She remained silent, not trusting herself to speak. "This is not your fault, Buffy. He's the one who ran off and got himself almost killed. The only person responsible for that is him."

"Sure feels like my fault," Buffy muttered under her breath. "If I hadn't opened my big fat mouth, he wouldn't have stalked off and nearly killed himself and I wouldn't be sitting here having a one person pity party because I'm the reason someone I can barely stand nearly died."

"And that's the kind of thing Ikkaku needs!" Yumichika hissed fiercely. Buffy blinked, surprised. "He needs to realize that there is more to life than anger and violence."

"If you're gonna talk about me like that Yumichika, you might wanna wait until I'm actually dead."

Buffy and Yumichika glanced up at their "patient"; Ikkaku's eyes were still closed, but his expression was one of vague annoyance.

"Eavesdropping now, are you?" Buffy asked.

"Kinda hard not to, you two aren't exactly being quiet," Ikkaku replied irritably. He opened his eyes and tried to get up, but before he could get very far Buffy was at his side.

"Oh no you don't," Buffy said, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him. His bare shoulder, but Buffy tried not to dwell on that. Ikkaku glared at her, obviously irritated, but he didn't shrug her hand off. "Don't look at me like that, Mr. Grumpy Pants. Yumichika needs to look you over before you go anywhere. If you don't lay back down I'll sit on you until he's finished."

"I don't think you'll have to go that far," Yumichika remarked as he settled on Ikkaku's other side. He handed Buffy an empty bucket. "I need you to go to the pump down the road and fill this up."

"Consider it done," Buffy replied, grabbing the bucket and heading out of the hut. She didn't grab her katana.

There were, as she had expected, people huddling together in small groups, keeping to themselves. They turned their gazes away from Buffy as she made her way over to the water pump. Thankfully, no one was waiting in line for water, so she got the pump all to herself.

At least, so she thought.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Buffy turned around, barely able to do so because three young men had crowded around her, cruel sneers on their faces. Instead of panicking like most people would, her face spread into a large, sunny smile.

"What can I do for you boys?" she asked cheerfully. "If you need to get to the water pump, I'll be done in half a minute and it's all yours."

"Did you hear that? The little girl wants to know what we want," one of the men, who had spiky black hair and seemed to be the leader, said. His two companions laughed stupidly. "We're gonna teach Madarame a lesson, and you're going to help us."

The spiky haired guy grabbed at her then, his meaty fingers enclosing around her left bicep. She glanced down at the hand before arching an eyebrow at her would-be assailant. She grabbed the man's hand with her right, squeezing it with all of the strength she could muster; it took a lot of effort to keep the smirk from her face as she felt several of his bones break. Buffy easily extracted herself from his grip, pushing him back hard enough to make him stumble.

"You broke my hand, you little bitch!" the man exclaimed.

"Damn, and here I thought I completely shattered it," Buffy said with a shrug. She did feel a little bad about breaking the guy's hand, but enough to feel particularly apologetic about it. He'd started it, after all; a young woman had every right to defend herself against unwanted advances.

"What the hell are you two standing there for? Get her!" Spiky-Haired said, cradling his damaged hand. His two compatriots lunged at her, as if she were some harmless girl and they could easily overpower her.

The fight was over within moments, and everyone who had been watching would have had a different version of events but they would all end up with the two guys knocked out on the ground. She shot a look at the guy with the broken hand, an unspoken challenge in her eyes. The spiky haired guy's eyes widened in fear before he turned and ran faster than anyone Buffy had seen run before.

Gracefully, Buffy stepped over the unconscious bodies in front of her and grabbed her bucket, which had been dropped in the scuffle. She filled it with water and practically skipped back to the hut, ignoring the stares of the people in the street.

"What the hell took you so long?!" Ikkaku asked, annoyed. "Yumichika asked you to bring that water ages ago."

"Sorry, but fighting for my life seemed more important at the time," Buffy replied, setting the bucket down next to Yumichika. "Do you need any help?"

"What happened? Are you okay?" Yumichika asked, worried.

"Baldy here isn't exactly very popular," Buffy said with a shrug. "A couple of thugs thought it would be a good idea to gang up on little old me to teach him a lesson. We've got two knocked out guys by the water pump and another one running around with a broken hand, probably telling anyone who will listen about the crazy blonde chick who is way too strong for her size."

"I don't think you broke that guy's hand," Ikkaku scoffed, rolling his eyes. Yumichika poked his injury particularly hard, causing him to flinch. "What the hell was that for?!"

"Want me to prove it to you, then?" Buffy asked innocently. "I'm sure there must be some way for you to believe me."

"Buffy, Ikkaku, not now," Yumichika said, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. "You two are going to make me old and ugly way sooner than I need to be."

"Sorry," Buffy said sheepishly. Ikkaku grunted and lay back, allowing Yumichika to do his work.

It wasn't long before Ikkaku drifted back to sleep, his body needing the rest so that it would heal. Buffy supposed he wasn't too happy about that, but it was pretty hard to argue when your eyes were drooping and it was difficult for you to string together a coherent sentence because you were so tired.

While she appreciated the quiet, Buffy still worried about him. She also worried about what he had said after his fight with Kenpachi of Zaraki. It was hard for her to forget; after all, he had practically shouted, "I lost! Kill me!" If that had been his opinion when they had fought – and Buffy had a feeling that this wasn't a recent revelation – why hadn't he killed her? Why had he just let her injuries run their course?

"Hey, Yumichika?" Buffy asked. They had been enjoying a comfortable silence; Buffy was seated at the table and even though Yumichika was lying down and his eyes were closed, she knew that he was awake. Well, awake enough to answer questions.

"Hmm?"

"Why didn't Ikkaku kill me?"

If Yumichika had been even close to falling asleep, it was all shot to hell with that question. He sat up, his eyes wide and concerned when his gaze reached his newest friend. He got up and crossed the room so that he could sit by her.

"What's gotten that ugly thought in your head?" Yumichika asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder in a comforting manner. She leaned into him, resting her cheek on his shoulder. She felt nothing more than a friendly affection from him, and hoped she was right. She had the feeling that she had been wrong about this kind of thing before, even though she wasn't quite sure where that feeling came from. It must have come from her previous life, the one that she could only vaguely remember.

"Well, Ikkaku was telling that guy to kill him," Buffy said. "You know, when he lost. And it got me thinking; if he thought that losing equaled death, then why didn't he kill me? He obviously beat me, after all. Don't know if he'd be able to do it now, but he beat me then. I know you asked him to take me in, but what made him listen? It's just been bugging me."

"You want to know my opinion?" Yumichika asked.

"Of course," Buffy replied. "I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't want to now what you had to say."

"He likes a challenge," Yumichika said. "You gave him that challenge, and that's why he let you live. Much like Kenpachi of Zaraki had let Ikkaku live. As for taking you in, that was a purely selfish request on my part. I like beautiful things, and the thought of having one of the prettiest people in Rukongai as my friend was too hard a prospect to pass up."

"Oh really?" Buffy asked, quirking an eyebrow. "And who just so happens to be the prettiest person in Rukongai?"

"Me, of course," Yumichika said arrogantly. Buffy laughed and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. Even though it was a light smack, Yumichika still winced. "Ow, that hurt!"

"I know my own strength, and that was not a hard hit," Buffy scoffed.

"You're right, it wasn't," Yumichika agreed. He squeezed her shoulder affectionately. "So, tell me about this fight you were in. You're not hurt, are you?"

"Nope, I'm just fine, not a scratch on me," Buffy replied with a grin. "And there's not much to tell. One guy grabbed me, I broke his hand and I pushed him away. He sent his cronies after me and I knocked them out so quick that I'm not even sure how I did it so fast. Then the other guy ran off, leaving his cronies and crying about his hand."

"Why do I get the feeling life is going to be far more interesting with you around?" Yumichika asked.

"Because I'm a trouble magnet?" Buffy offered helpfully. Yumichika chuckled, shaking his head.

"And a lying attention addict," came a voice from across the room. Ikkaku was awake. Again. "Seriously, it's hard for a guy to sleep when you two are yakking like a couple of girls."

"Come on, let's go for a walk and leave sleeping beauty alone," Yumichika said, rising to his feet. He held out a hand to help Buffy up, and when she was on her feet they headed out, grabbing their katanas on the way just in case.

As soon as they exited, they were greeted with a wall of people. Everyone was lining the street, watching something or someone walking on the road. Buffy stood on her tiptoes and stretched out her neck as far as it could go in an attempt to see what was going on, but she was so short that she couldn't see over the tops of most people's heads.

"Excuse me, but do you know what's going on?" Yumichika asked a nearby bystander.

"It's Zaraki of Kenpachi," the man said. "He's planning on challenging someone in the Thirteen Protection Squads in a fight."

"Who?" Buffy asked, curious.

"The Eleventh Squad captain," the man replied.

"Is he insane?" Yumichika asked. Buffy arched an eyebrow at him, silently asking for an explanation. "I don't know a lot about the Thirteen Squads, but I do know that Squad Eleven is the toughest and most violent. He's good, but I don't think he'll stand a chance."

"Sounds like Ikkaku's kind of club," Buffy said with a smirk; Yumichika returned it with a smile of her own. The bystander that Yumichika had spoken to turned and looked at Buffy for a moment.

"You're that chick that took down those three thugs, aren't you?" he asked. Buffy nodded mutely, wondering how that had spread around so fast; it had been maybe two hours since the incident had happened. He looked her up and down in disbelief. "I was expecting someone taller, like really tall. And big. I don't believe you."

"How about I show you?" Buffy asked, testily. She knew she was small and weak-looking, but did these guys really think someone would lie about getting their behinds kicked by a small woman.

"Come on Buffy, it's not worth it," Yumichika said. "We should go, see how Ikkaku's doing; hopefully he won't be cranky anymore."

Yumichika led Buffy away from the still disbelieving bystander, moving quickly so that they wouldn't be accosted by anyone else on their way back.

"Where the hell did you two go?" Ikkaku asked as soon as they walked in the door. Buffy leaned her katana up against the wall next to the door; Yumichika did the same.

"We went for a walk," Yumichika replied. "Couldn't get very far without hitting a wall of people so we turned around and came back."

"Another fight?" Ikkaku asked, sounding disappointed. "I can't believe I'm missing out on all of this crap! Am I going to be allowed to get out of this bed any time soon? 'Cause I gotta say, this sucks."

"Not exactly a fight," Buffy said, glancing at Yumichika for approval. He nodded and she continued with her explanation. "Kenpachi of Zaraki was on his way to challenge one of the captains of the Protection Squads to a fight."

"What the hell?!" Ikkaku exclaimed. "How am I gonna get my rematch now? This sucks!"

"You could always track him down once you've healed," Buffy suggested.

"Like I'm gonna be able to track him down," Ikkaku scoffed. "He's gonna be dead! He might be good here in the sticks, but the Protection Squads are big league. Who he's fighting, anyway?"

"Eleventh squad captain," Yumichika replied. Ikkaku swore violently under his breath.

"I think we should take a 'wait and see' attitude towards this," Buffy said reasonably. "Who knows, he could totally kick ass and not die."

"And then what? He'll be captain if he wins," Ikkaku spat. He scowled for a moment before a slightly evil smirk crossed his face. "I know what we could do… we could become Shinigami!"

Yumichika and Buffy stared at him, blinking in shocked silence.

"What?" Ikkaku asked. "It's not a bad idea, is it?"

"Well, no, but didn't you just say a few days ago that you'd never be a Shinigami," Yumichika said with an arched eyebrow.

"And that was before I learned that crazy mofo was going to fight his way to the top of the Protection Squads," Ikkaku replied, his smirk widening to a grin.

"Well, I have no objections to it, if this ends up happening," Buffy said with a shrug. "Could be interesting. And hey, you might learn something."

"This, of course, is all dependant on the outcome of the fight that may or may not happen," Yumichika said with a sigh. "He might go in there, but that doesn't mean they'll let him in."

"Well, let's just hope he wins," Buffy said brightly. She lowered her voice so that only Yumichika could hear. "For his sake, especially."

***

**Chapter 6 is done! Let me know what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** I've been getting some questions as to how I'm going to deal with the timelines and things like that when it comes to this fic. To save everyone from mass confusion and to save me time from answering the questions multiple, here's a simple answer. I'm treating Soul Society like the hell dimension that Angel was in when Buffy sent him to hell in Season Two, which means that hundreds of years can pass in Soul Society and only a few days/weeks/months/years pass in the real world. It's not perfect, but it's the only way I could think of to do this logically and relatively easily.

As well, I'd like to thank all of my readers and reviewers; you all rule! I know I say it in my comments, but it just needs to be said again. I appreciate everything you throw at me, whether it be praise, words of wisdom, suggestions or curious queries so that I can clarify certain aspects of my view of the realms I play in. Thank you all!

And now, because I've yakked on enough… here's Chapter Seven for your reading pleasure! I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 7

A week later, there was a buzz in the air. It started in the lower-numbered and more peaceful districts, but it soon spread to the outer, poorer districts. The details might have changed in the course of the spread, but the basic story was the same.

A man from the Rukongai slums had taken on the eleventh squad captain, and won. He was now captain of the eleventh squad and some little pink haired kid was his lieutenant.

It wasn't long at all before Ikkaku, Yumichika and Buffy had found out once the news had reached their district. When Ikkaku had started dancing around like an idiot, it was all Buffy could do to keep from laughing until she cried.

"Has he ever done this before?" Buffy muttered to Yumichika as they packed their meager belongings. Ikkaku had hugged them both when he had heard the news and hadn't stopped smiling since. While a little disconcerting because she hadn't seen him smile before then, Buffy had to admit he looked much better with an expression besides smirking or scowling.

"No," Yumichika replied. "Terrifying, isn't it?"

"I've seen a lot of stuff, but I think that might be the scariest thing I've ever seen," Buffy whispered back. "Here's hoping he's back to normal soon."

"You want him back to being angry and violent?" Yumichika asked, astonished. While he was also somewhat worried about Ikkaku's new personality, he didn't want Ikkaku to go back to his old personality. He wondered if they could find a happy medium between "angry and violent Ikkaku" and "happy and dancing Ikkaku".

"Anger and violence I can deal with; all I have to do is yell and hit back," Buffy replied with a shrug. "With this, I don't know what to do."

"You should enjoy it, Buffy," Ikkaku said as he handed her her katana. "Come on, let's get a move on, we're losing daylight here!"

Buffy blinked dumbly as she strapped her katana to her side; he'd never called her Buffy before. It was either "girl", "girlie" or "little girl" most of the time, although he had called her an attention seeking liar once. She sighed and followed Yumichika out, as Ikkaku was leading their little caravan.

"There she is! Get her!"

They were maybe five hundred feet from their former home when the exclamation broke the still morning air. The group turned to see a group of five men standing behind them. Buffy recognized three of them as the guys she had beat up the week before; one of them had a bandage on his hand and the other two still had bruises that were turning nice shades of yellow and green. The other two were massive; not as large as Kenpachi had been, but Buffy could tell that they ate their Wheaties.

"What do you guys want now?" Buffy asked, turning fully to face them. "Getting beaten by a girl once wasn't enough?"

The spiky haired guy with the broken hand didn't say anything as he snapped the fingers on his good hand. The two large, gorilla-like men advanced forward sneers on their faces.

"Guys, do we really have to do this now?" Buffy asked, her voice whiny. "Because I have places to go and people to see, and I really don't have time for this."

Gorilla man number one swung at her with a left hook, and Buffy showed no sign of dodging. She held up her hand and caught the fist in her tiny hand, which most likely would have smashed her face if it had hit. She cocked an eyebrow at him, smirking.

"You going to rethink that, big guy?" she asked. He let loose a frustrated cry as he tried to move his fist closer to her face and found that he couldn't. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed onto his fist with her other hand and flipped him over her shoulder. He landed on the ground with a dull thud.

Gorilla man number two bellowed a war cry of some sort before coming at Buffy head on. She smashed the heel of her hand into his nose and felt the sickening crunch as the cartilage tore. He bent over in pain; Buffy took advantage of that, kicking him in the gut and causing him to land six feet away.

"Can I go now?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow at the three guys she had met the week before. All three of them had expressions of abject fear on their faces before they turned and fled, leaving their large companions where they lay.

Buffy turned back to her friends, a scowl on her face. She thought she'd gotten rid of those guys before, but she was obviously wrong; hopefully she'd never see them again.

"Remind me to never ever piss you off," Yumichika said as they continued on their way.

"Believe me now?" Buffy asked Ikkaku. He still held an air of disbelief about the whole incident as Buffy had described it, although he hadn't done anything more than scoff whenever it was brought up.

"That was pure luck," Ikkaku replied. "You were using your opponent's weight to your advantage and that was the reason why you won."

"And what about the guy with the bandaged hand?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"That could have happened anywhere," Ikkaku replied with a shrug. "This part of Rukongai ain't exactly safe."

Buffy huffed and crossed her arms but didn't say anything else; she could tell that Yumichika was beginning to get annoyed with their antics and she didn't want to be the one to set him off. She'd never seen him get angry, but there was something to be said about people who had long, slow-burning fuses. She had a feeling that Yumichika could be rather frightening if he ever got angry enough.

"What, no comeback?" Ikkaku asked.

"No point," Buffy replied with a shrug. "You're not going to believe me, even though you have proof now, so I've decided to stop trying. Believe, don't believe, it doesn't matter to me because I know what happened."

"Not going to fight for what you believe?" Ikkaku asked. "Weak."

"Are you having fun trying to piss me off?" Buffy asked with a glare. "Because it's not working."

"You sure about that?" Ikkaku retorted, arching an eyebrow.

"Do you want me to act like you and blow up every time someone says something I don't agree with?" Buffy asked.

"It makes life a hell of a lot more fun," Ikkaku replied with a smirk. Buffy reached over from behind Yumichika and smacked Ikkaku on the back of his bald head. "What the hell was that for?!"

"No particular reason," Buffy replied with a shrug.

"Could you two stop bickering for five minutes, please?" Yumichika said, his voice almost whining. "Arguing is so ugly."

"He started it," Buffy said with a pout.

"And I'm finishing it," Yumichika retorted. "It's like I'm surrounded by a couple of children."

Ikkaku scowled and Buffy sulked as Yumichika walked between them, presumably to keep the arguing and snapping an bickering at a minimum. It worked, although the long day of walking was silent and uneventful. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon before they decided to stop for the night.

"You two go and find us something to eat, and I'll find us somewhere to sleep," Yumichika said when they arrived in District 60. "Do you think you two can do that without arguing, or am I going to have to supervise you two?"

"No, we can do it, as long as he behaves," Buffy said.

"I'll behave if she doesn't insist on drawing attention to herself by telling stories about herself that obviously aren't true," Ikkaku retorted.

Buffy sighed, rolled her eyes before balling up her fist and swinging her arm around for a mean right hook. Ikkaku was caught off guard and the punch landed true, square in his jaw. He stumbled back, holding his jaw and staring at Buffy in shock.

"What the hell was that for?!" he exclaimed. "Any harder and you might have broken it!"

"I am getting so fed up with you bringing that up every single chance you get," Buffy replied calmly. "If you don't believe my version of what happened, fine, but that doesn't give you the right to be an asshole about it."

"In case you haven't noticed, I _am_ an asshole!" Ikkaku retorted.

"Then be an asshole about something else," Buffy shot back with a glare.

"Okay, that is enough," Yumichika said, stepping between them. "I'm fed up with you two acting like a couple of two year olds. Now, either you two do whatever it is you have to do to get this tension out of your systems or you learn to deal with it in a way where I don't have to keep separating you because you're fighting like cats and dogs. Are we understood?"

"Yeah, fine, whatever," Ikkaku said with a sigh and a roll of his eyes. Buffy nodded, but remained silent.

"Good," Yumichika said with a satisfied nod. "You and Buffy can go find us someplace to stay; I think I saw an empty shack or something a few houses back, go and check that out. I'll go and find us some food."

Ikkaku and Buffy nodded in agreement, not questioning the change of plans. Yumichika was better at finding things, whether it be food, people or anything else. He'd catch up to them eventually.

Buffy and Ikkaku silently backtracked until they reached the shack Yumichika had mentioned. They cased the place, walking around the perimeter and checking to make sure it was empty before deciding to take it over for the night.

"Looks empty to me," Buffy said when they met up at the front door. "What do you think?"

"It'll do for a night," Ikkaku replied, entering the shack. Buffy followed, closing the door behind her.

The shack was a little on the dark side due to small windows and lack of lanterns and smaller than their previous dwelling, but there was more than enough room for the three of them to sleep without touching if they so chose.

Ikkaku unstrapped his bag from his back and unpacked his mat, unrolling it on the floor near the wall before sitting on it. Buffy followed suit, unrolling her mat next to his and sitting next to him, close enough that they were almost touching

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Buffy asked.

"Ya just did, but sure," Ikkaku replied with a shrug. "Can't promise I'll answer, but you can ask away."

"Why didn't you kill me?" she asked softly. Ikkaku's head whipped around, looking at her in disbelief.

"Jump right to the serious stuff, don't you?" he retorted with a small smile.

"Yep, that's me, straight to the point," Buffy replied with a grin. "And you're not supposed to answer a question with another question!"

"Fine," Ikkaku said with a sigh. "Do you have any idea how rare it is for a pretty girl who can brawl with the best of them?"

"You think I'm pretty?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yumichika thinks you are, and he would know," Ikkaku replied with a shrug. "He likes pretty people, and he likes you."

"Oh, okay," Buffy said simply, averting her gaze. She didn't know why his opinion mattered so much to her; they could barely stand each other, after all. Still, it kind of stung. Then again, Ikkaku kind of struck her as asexual and rather uncomfortable with human contact, so she shouldn't be too bothered by it.

"What's wrong?" Ikkaku asked. He had no experience with women, but even he knew that when a girl got quiet during a discussion it was a bad thing. He just hoped that she didn't start to cry.

"Nothing, I'm fine," Buffy replied, glancing over at him and offering him a small smile. She hoped it would reassure him; the last thing she needed was him being suspicious of her.

"Not buying it," Ikkaku retorted. He touched her arm to get her attention. "Buffy, look at me."

Buffy looked up and their gazes locked. For the first time she met him, she realized his eyes were brown. Not that she would admit it out loud, she also realized that he was quite good looking when he wasn't scowling, shouting or being a complete asshole.

They sat there, staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity until they heard someone at the door. Buffy blinked out of her trance first as Yumichika entered, bearing food. Scrambling quickly to find something to say that would explain why they were sitting together without killing each other and said the first thing that came out of her mouth.

"Uh, nope, I don't think I did any permanent damage," Buffy said, reaching over to touch the jaw she had hit earlier. "Barely even a bruise there, you'll be fine."

"Oh, um, right," Ikkaku said, blinking as Buffy had and shaking his head. "Now stop touching me, you crazy chick."

Buffy mock glared at him and scooted herself and her mat away from him before looking up at Yumichika. Even though the little cabin was dimly lit, she could see that he was amused, very amused.

She'd never hear the end of it.

"I'm glad I was able to leave you two alone and not come back to find one of you dead," Yumichika said as he set the food down on Buffy's mat so that it wasn't on the dirt floor. "I think I might be able to leave you two alone more often, if no death and dismemberment is a result."

Buffy wasn't sure if she liked the prospect of being left alone with Ikkaku, now that they'd had a couple of moments in the last couple of weeks where it would seem that something more could happen. The first time she had thought she had caught him off guard and dismissed it as a one-time thing, but after what had just happened she wasn't so sure about that.

"Anyway, I couldn't get much variety so we're just going to have to deal with it," Yumichika said as he sat on the end of Buffy's mat and began unpacking the bags. "It's not exciting, but it'll fill us up. Hopefully we'll get to the Court of Pure Souls by tomorrow and won't have to do this again."

Buffy surveyed the basic fare laid out in front of her. Filling and hearty but not particularly exciting, but he had been able to pick up some red bean paste buns which made Buffy happy. They had become a favorite food of her since moving in and never passed up an opportunity to have one.

"What do you think it'll be like?" Buffy asked as they ate.

"What do we think what will be like?" Yumichika asked.

"You know, becoming a shini-whatsit," Buffy replied. She vaguely remembered a man in a black kimono before she had arrived in Rukongai, and wondered if maybe that guy was a shinigami.

"You mean a shinigami?" Yumichika asked, arching an eyebrow. Buffy nodded. "To be honest I have no idea. Most shinigami don't come back to Rukongai, especially the ones that come from the higher-numbered districts. It's a better life for the ones who started with nothing. I do know, however, that it'll be a lot of work."

"We're talking years of training, aren't we?" Buffy asked with a slight groan. While she was not adverse to extra training, she wasn't particularly fond of the thought of more school, not now.

"Looks like," Yumichika replied. Ikkaku made a face, but didn't comment.

They ate the remainder of their meal in silence, the only sounds were the sounds of people enjoying a simple meal. It was pleasant; Buffy could almost forget the last couple of weeks of bickering, baiting and brawling. Almost. She waited with trepidation, wondering what the bald wonder would say to completely ruin the blissful quiet.

Once she was finished eating, Buffy stifled a yawn; she hadn't realize how tired she was. She blamed Ikkaku for that; he'd had them up at first light and they had walked all day. Maybe not as quickly as they could have, but a full day of walking really took it out of you no matter what the pace.

"I think I'm going to hit the sack," Buffy said after Yumichika had cleared the remaining food and stowed it in his bag.

"Excellent idea, I'm beat. Keeping you two from killing each other really takes it out of me," Yumichika replied with a yawn of his own. "Do you think you're safe sleeping there? I'd be happy to change places with you."

"Nah, I should be okay," Buffy replied. "As far as I know, I don't have any homicidal tendencies in my sleep."

"Well, if you're sure," Yumichika said uncertainly.

"Yep, I'm sure," Buffy replied with a nod. "As long as Ikkaku doesn't take advantage of me or anything."

"What?" Ikkaku spluttered, incoherent sounds of embarrassment and outrage spewing from his mouth.

"I was joking, joking!" Buffy reassured him with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. "Besides, we both know you're asexual."

"I am not!" Ikkaku exclaimed heatedly. He grabbed Buffy's shoulders in a firm grip so that she couldn't escape before crushing his lips onto hers. She squeaked in surprise before melting into the kiss, returning it. Her tongue darted out and lightly probed his lips, causing him to tense up before releasing her.

"I have to go," he said quickly, getting up and bolting out. Buffy and Yumichika stared after him, both surprised that he hadn't taken his katana with him.

"What the hell was that all about?" Buffy wondered aloud, shocked. She pressed a finger to her lips, wondering what had come over him. Or her, for that matter. What had possessed her to kiss him back?

"See, that's what happen when you insult a man's sexuality," Yumichika retorted, trying not to sound giddy.

"But was it really that horrible that he had to run away?" Buffy asked.

"No, I'm sure it wasn't," Yumichika replied, sitting next to Buffy and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I wouldn't worry about it; he's probably just confused and needs some time to think. Go to sleep, he'll be back in the morning and we can keep going."

"I hope you're right," Buffy said with a sigh before curling up on her mat in an attempt to get some much needed rest.

***

The next morning dawned bright and clear and Buffy rose with the rising sun. She hadn't slept well, her worries and fears plaguing her, but she hoped that Yumichika wouldn't notice and if he did, she hoped he wouldn't say anything.

As she began packing up her mat, she heard someone enter the cabin. Slipping into a fighting stance, ready to spring, she relaxed when she saw it was only Ikkaku, looking about as bad as she felt.

"Rough night?" Buffy asked as he rummaged around in Yumichika's bag for the leftover food.

"I could ask you the same thing," Ikkaku replied as he handed her a bun.

"Good to see you're back," Yumichika said as he sat up. "We should probably get out of here pretty soon; I don't know about you two, but the less time we spend walking, the better."

"Sounds good," Buffy said with a grin before packing up the rest of her things. Ikkaku nodded in agreement and waited for Buffy to be finished packing her things before tossing his stuff into his bag.

"Ready to go?" Yumichika asked. Getting a nod of agreement from both Buffy and Ikkaku, they ventured out into the early morning light, one day closer to their goal.

***

**Here's chapter seven. Hope you all enjoyed it!**


	8. Chapter 8

Slayer Shinigami

Chapter 8

The day was beautiful; as they got further away from their old district the sun felt warmer, the colours were brighter and everything felt more peaceful. Buffy wasn't sure what it was, but her mood seemed to brighten as they got closer to their destination, and there was nothing that anyone could to that could bring her mood down.

Well, almost nothing.

"I'm bored," Ikkaku said with a sigh when they had stopped for a brief rest and some lunch. "It's too damn quiet around here, I don't like it. Everyone's staring at us because we're carrying katanas. What the hell is up with that?"

"You're whining," Buffy retorted, rolling her eyes. He'd been pleasantly quiet for the last few hours; it was only a matter of time before he started complaining about one thing or another. "Besides, it's not like the people around here need weapons; have you seen anyone else besides us carrying them? This place isn't exactly crawling with the lowlifes like back home."

"You calling me a lowlife?" Ikkaku asked. "'Cuz I gotta tell ya, you've been slumming it with the best of us so ya don't really have room to talk."

"I'm sure that's not what she meant," Yumichika said calmly. "Am I right, Buffy?"

"I've only been around here for a few weeks, I haven't had time to develop the violent and rude tendencies you have," Buffy retorted, sticking her tongue out at Ikkaku. "Besides, there are some good people, just not a lot. Like Yumichika."

"What about with those guys?" Ikkaku asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Self defence, they all attacked me first," Buffy replied with a shrug.

"And have you forgotten that fight when you first came here?" Ikkaku asked. "That one was all you. _You_ challenged _me_."

"Because you'd just killed someone else, for no apparent reason except that they lost a fight," Buffy retorted. "You looked like you needed a good ass kicking to get your ego down to size, and I thought I could take you."

"But you couldn't, and you nearly got yourself killed," Ikkaku shot back.

"I was newly dead and disoriented," Buffy replied with a shrug. "I could _so_ take you now, though."

"Excuses, excuses," Ikkaku said with a sigh. "And you so could _not_ take me!"

"You do know that you just sounded really, really gay right there, right?" Buffy asked, arching her eyebrow. "Not that I have anything against gay people or anything like that; what you do and who you do it with are your business."

"I'm not gay!" Ikkaku exclaimed vehemently.

"Sure, whatever you say," Buffy replied with a roll of her eyes.

"And I think that's enough," Yumichika cut in, obviously annoyed. "Can't you two stop arguing for five minutes? It's so unpleasant, and it almost makes me want to go on without you."

"Oh come on, you wouldn't do that," Buffy replied. "Would you?"

"You two might just drive me to it if you keep it up," Yumichika retorted. Buffy stuck out her lower lip in a full pout. As soon as she did, Yumichika closed his eyes and turned his head away, effectively blocking the pout from his view. "That pout isn't going to work if I can't see it."

"But you wouldn't leave me alone with him, would you?" Buffy asked, jabbing her thumb at Ikkaku. "Come on, we aren't that bad!"

"Speak for yourself," Ikkaku muttered.

"Don't make me hit you again," Buffy said warningly.

"Not exactly scared of a little girlie punch," Ikkaku said with a scoff.

"You know, that bruise on your jaw is a really pretty purple," Buffy remarked. "Now, tell me again who gave that to you? Oh right, it was me."

Ikkaku scowled, but didn't say anything as they continued their meal in peace. Buffy smirked to herself but held off on doing a happy dance; after all, Ikkaku was quiet, so there was no need to provoke him.

"There, see?" Yumichika said, his voice dripping with honey. "I always knew you two could get along!"

"If I didn't like you so much, I'd smack you right about now," Buffy said with a grin.

"I'm not so generous," Ikkaku remarked sourly, moving quickly to tackle Yumichika. Buffy caught the move and sprang quickly to intercept the attack. Before long, they were rolling around in the dust, kicking up a huge cloud and mostly obscuring their scuffle from the view of the bystanders.

"What the hell is your problem, Buffy?!" Ikkaku exclaimed after Buffy had gained the upper hand. She straddled his stomach, leaning over slightly so that she could pin his arms down on either side of his head. He tried to struggle but she held fast, squeezing his arms tightly with her hands.

"Attack him again and I'll break your arm. Both of them," Buffy said quietly, her eyes narrowed. She knew, instinctively, that Yumichika could have easily handled himself, but she honestly didn't like the idea of someone harming a person she considered hers. _Woah, where the hell did that come from?_ she thought suddenly.

"You're fucking crazy, lady," Ikkaku said, his eyes wide. She was still glaring at him; the gaze unnerved him. It also stirred something else inside of him, something he'd rather not think about. It was the first time he had seen any evidence of the strong, vicious fighter he had heard so much about, both from the rumours that had been circulating since she had arrived and the stories she told Yumichika a couple of times. She had sparred with Yumichika several times, and each time they had drawn a crowd. He had heard that, had she been going all out with an intent to kill, she probably would have been successful. Then, of course, there was that incident with the three thugs when he had been out and injured. Since he hadn't seen her in action, he had shrugged it off as the ramblings of half crazy people who had been hit in the head too many times and a crazy woman who liked attention far too much. However, he was beginning to believe the rumours were true.

"Buffy!" Yumichika's voice broke through the haze of dust. She blinked when he touched her shoulder, breaking her out of her semi-trance. She looked down, her eyes locking with Ikkaku's. For a moment, time seemed to stand still.

"You think you could get off of me any time soon?" Ikkaku asked with a lazy smirk. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but I think people are starting to stare."

"Oh crap, I'm so sorry," Buffy said, her eyes widening before she scrambled off of him. Ikkaku easily got to his feet as Buffy scrambled away.

"Come on, let's get going," Ikkaku said, turning around and walking away. He glanced over his shoulder. "You two coming?"

"We'll catch up in a second, you go on ahead," Yumichika said as he grabbed Buffy by the arm and dragged her to where they had had their short-lived meal. He waited until Ikkaku was out of earshot, cleaning up and packing away their things as he did so. "What the hell was that all about?!"

"I – I don't know," Buffy said quietly, now ashamed. Jumping in front of him, protecting him, had to be one of the most insulting things she could have done. "I just… didn't like the idea of someone attacking you. I just… Iprotectmyown."

"Pardon?" Yumichika asked as he hitched the bag onto his shoulder. "I didn't catch that last part."

"Oh god, now that I'm out of the moment this is so embarrassing," Buffy said with a sigh. _Oh well, might as well get this over with,_ she thought, taking a deep breath. "I protect my own. I think I've always been that way, especially since I got the strength to actually do it. I know it's embarrassing to be protected by a girl, especially one that looks all girly and ditzy and delicate, but I couldn't help it. It's just… instinct, I guess." She stood there, hanging her head and keeping her eyes to the ground.

"Is that all?" Yumichika asked, amused. Buffy looked up, her eyes widening when she saw that there were no traces of embarrassing or shame on his face. In fact, he looked downright please with a healthy dose of amused thrown in. "And here I thought it was just another unprovoked attack on Ikkaku."

"I rarely attack unprovoked. But I'm kind of like a mama bear – mess with the people I care about and I'll maul you beyond all recognition," Buffy replied She smiled hopefully. "So, you're not mad at me?"

"Mad, why would I be mad?" Yumichika asked with an arched eyebrow. "It's not like everyone thinks you're completely harmless anyway; nearly everyone in our old district had seen you in action in one way or another. Besides, it's been a while since someone has accepted me as their own, so I'm not going to complain about that."

"So… we cool?" Buffy asked, still apprehensive.

"Yeah, we're good," Yumichika agreed, slinging an arm around Buffy's shoulders, grinning at her. "Now come on, before Ikkaku starts to worry."

"Like he'd be worried about me," Buffy scoffed. "You? Yes. Me? Not so much. He's probably happy that I'm currently far, far away from him."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Yumichika said with a knowing smile as he squeezed her shoulder one more time before releasing it. Buffy was still in the dark about how Ikkaku had sat by her beside and watched as she slept. He didn't really plan on telling her anytime soon, either; there was no need to completely ruin Ikkaku's reputation just yet.

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

"Nothing, never mind, forget I said anything," Yumichika said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Hmm, okay," Buffy said, although she had no intention of forgetting about it. She made a mental note to bring it up later, but decided that, for now, it was would be a bad idea to press the issue further. The time would come for that later. She smiled brightly and linked her arm through Yumichika's, leading him in the direction she had seen Ikkaku head when he had left. "Come on, let's go and find cue-ball and get this part of our trip over and done with."

"That's more like the girl I like to see," Yumichika said with a smile of his own, allowing Buffy to take the lead. "So, how do you propose we'll find Ikkaku?"

"I was thinking I would just look for the sun glinting off of a bald head," Buffy replied with a shrug.

"Don't let him hear you say that," Yumichika said with a sigh. "He's rather sensitive about his head, you know. Claims it's shaven."

"Really?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. "Big, scary Ikkaku has a hang-up over his bald head? I seriously find that really hard to believe."

"Well he does, and I beg you not to mention it," Yumichika said, his voice pleading. "I don't want to deal with a sulking, moping Ikkaku. He's no fun that way."

"Fine," Buffy said with a sigh. "But you _so_ owe me."

"And I'm confident that you'll collect in due time," Yumichika said. Something caught his attention, and he turned his gaze to something up ahead. "Hey, isn't that Ikkaku up ahead?"

Buffy followed his gaze and, sure enough, Ikkaku was several feet ahead of them, walking at a pretty fast clip. She smirked to herself; he didn't seem to realize that they were following him yet.

"Wait here, I have an idea," Buffy said quietly, disengaging her arm from Yumichika's and quickly but silently creeping up behind Ikkaku.

"What the hell is she doing?" Yumichika said to himself as he watched Buffy, hoping that this wouldn't end horribly.

She stalked Ikkaku, keeping out of his peripheral vision as she drew closer to him. As soon as she was close enough, she clapped a hand on his shoulder and leaned her face close to his ear.

"Gotcha," she whispered with a grin. Ikkaku jumped slightly, whirling around quickly to see who had snuck up on him. Relaxing as his face spread into a lazy smirk when he saw that it was only Buffy, who stood there with her hands on her hips and a triumphant smirk on her own face.

"I knew you were there the entire time," Ikkaku said with a scoff. "Where's Yumichika?"

"Sure you did," Buffy replied with a snort. She'd intended on leaping up and jumping on him, latching onto his shoulders, but thought better of it. Sneaking up and startling him seemed less life threatening than an all out surprise attack. Thankfully, she'd been right. "And Yumi…"

"Is right here," Yumichika said, reaching the pair at that moment. "Good to see you're still alive."

"Ikkaku wouldn't hurt me, would you Ikkaku?" Buffy replied, linking her left arm with Ikkaku's right before grabbing Yumichika and linking her right arm with her left. "Come on guys, let's get this show on the road."

"Okay Yumichika, what the hell did you do to her?" Ikkaku asked over her head, arching an eyebrow.

"No idea, but I like this version of her," Yumichika replied with a shrug. "Don't you?"

"Stop talking about me like I'm deaf or something," Buffy said with a huff. "Just because you two are taller than me and you can look at each other over the top of my head, it doesn't mean I can't hear you."

Both men remained silent, and Buffy smirked to herself. She had the feeling that both of them were slowly but surely becoming wrapped around her little fingers, especially Yumichika; Ikkaku was probably fighting it with everything he had, and he was losing. It hadn't been her intention, not by a long shot, but she was pleased about it all the same.

The slightly odd-looking trio walked through the crowds of Rukongai, breezing through the districts with ease. They garnered a few odd looks; after all, it wasn't every day people saw a tough-looking bald guy, an effeminate-looking dark haired man and a dainty-looking blonde girl – because at her size most hesitated to call her a woman – in the company of each other. Save for a few annoyed glares from Ikkaku, the curious gazes were largely ignored.

Before what seemed like no time at all, they were in the first numbered district of Rukongai, the closest one could get to Seiretei without actually being _in_ Seiretei.

"And here we are," Yumichika said softly, looking forward. They could see Seiretei just beyond the boundary of the first district, shimmering a short distance away. Yumichika and Ikkaku disengaged themselves from Buffy and headed towards Seiretei.

"Uh guys, I don't think that's a good idea," Buffy said, following behind them, albeit at a slower pace. She couldn't quite explain it, but she had the feeling that things weren't as they appeared to be.

Sure enough, out of nowhere a wall slammed down into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Buffy jogged slightly to close the distance between herself and her stunned companions.

"How… how did you… ?" Ikkaku asked, his surprised gaze sliding from the wall to Buffy and back again.

"Not everything is as it appears," Buffy replied with a shrug. "Something seemed fishy, and I was right."

"Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in," Ikkaku grumbled.

Just then, there was a huge commotion and another figure, a man, jumped down from presumably a great height and landed in front of them. But this was no ordinary man. He was absolutely massive, a thirty foot tall wall of muscle. His expression was serious, surveying the trio he dwarfed.

"I am Jidanbo Ikkanzaka, gatekeeper of the West Gate," he boomed. "What is your business in Seiretei?"

Yumichika grabbed Buffy by the arm and pulled her to the forefront of the group, nudging her forward.

"What do you think you're doing?" Buffy hissed at him over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes.

"Tell him why we're here," Yumichika hissed back. "He might be more likely to listen to you."

"Why, because I'm a girl?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's exactly right," Ikkaku replied, rolling his eyes. "Now do it! He looks pissed."

"You two _so_ owe me," Buffy muttered before turning her attention to the massive hulk of a man standing in front of her. "Um, hi, we're here to apply to the Shinigami Academy. Can you help us?"

"What are your names?" Jidanbo asked.

"I am Yumichika Ayasegawa, this Ikkaku Madarame, and the lady here is my sister, Buffy," Yumichika spoke up, stepping forward. Buffy glanced at him, arching an eyebrow but remaining silent. He glanced back, his eyes pleading. She remained quiet, but that didn't mean she'd remain silent forever. There were definitely a lot of things that they needed to talk about, but this was definitely not the time.

"You may enter," Jidanbo said after a moment of consideration. He turned and crouched, wedging his fingers under the gate and lifting with all of his might. "Enter now, there will be some Shinigami on the other side waiting to help you. Good luck, little ones."

Ikkaku looked like he was about to say something about being called "little", considering he was approximately six feet tall, but Buffy grabbed his arm and dragged him through the gate before he could. They were almost there.

"So you're the three new Shinigami Academy hopefuls?"

They turned their attention to the voice. An old man was standing there, wearing a black and white outfit. They looked around; everyone they saw was wearing the same thing, in one form or another, so it must have been a uniform of some sort. Buffy didn't know about her two companions, but she was feeling rather underdressed and shabby.

"Yeah, that's us," Ikkaku said with a smirk. "Follow me, then. You need to pass the entrance exam before you will be allowed to register," the old man said before turning and walking away.

"Entrance exam?" Buffy asked as she followed the man. "No one said anything about an entrance exam!"

"We didn't know about it either, so don't blame us," Ikkaku said sourly.

Buffy bit her tongue and clenched her fists, choosing to keep quiet and in control of her annoyance. She was rather proud of herself; had they had been anywhere else, she would have at the very least popped Ikkaku on the back of the head for a remark like that.

"It's a simple exam, where we will test your fighting ability and your spiritual power," the old man explained once they had reached a large, imposing, pristine building. "It will also gauge which classes you will need to take at the academy; depending on your skill, you may be able to test out of some areas, which will shorten your training and make your entrance to the Thirteen Squads. Are you ready for your exam?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Yumichika replied.

"Sure, why not?" Buffy agreed.

"Let's just get this crap over and done with," Ikkaku said, sounding cranky. Buffy glanced at him; even though his voice expressed displeasure, she could see a glint of anticipation in his eyes. He was as excited, if not more, about this as she and Yumichika were.

"Then follow me and we will begin," the old man said, leading them into the large building.

***

I'm really sorry this took so long; I honestly haven't had the time to write. Not sure when the next one will be ready; between cleaning, packing, moving and work, I won't have much time in the next few weeks.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Ikkaku, Yumichika and Buffy followed the old man into the large building. Buffy tried not to stare; the room they entered was large, airy and imposing. There were also many people milling around, mostly men and boys, but there were some women and girls as well. The groups were segregated by gender; the people giving the tests were all male.

"Miss Ayasegawa, go join the other young ladies over there," the man said, pointing to the group of girls on one side of the room. "Ayasegawa and Madarame, you two come with me."

Buffy made her way to the group of girls milling around, thoughts running rampant in her head. _Buffy Ayasegawa. Huh, it has a nice ring to it,_ Buffy thought to herself as she made her way to the group of girls. _Considering I don't remember my last name from when I was alive, I suppose I could get used to it._ It was a little freaksome, considering it had been roughly two weeks since she had met the boys and Yumichika hadn't consulted her at all about whether or not she actually wanted to be his sister. Then again, looking back she saw the signs. He had been treating her like a sister, affectionate but not in a sexual way, overprotective but not stifling and always concerned about her well-being. She, in turn, was overprotective of him as well, even though she knew he could easily take care of himself, as he had been doing so for many years before she had come along.

If that wasn't a sibling-like relationship, she didn't know what was.

"Hi, I'm Rangiku Matsumoto! What's your name?"

Buffy was brought out of her thoughts by a bright, friendly voice. She looked up to see a girl who looked like she was in her early to mid-teens or so. She had long, strawberry blonde hair and the palest blue eyes Buffy had ever seen. Rangiku stood a few inches taller than Buffy and, even though she appeared a few years younger, her breasts were already quite large.

"Buffy… Buffy Ayasegawa," Buffy replied, saying her new name out loud to test it out. She decided that she liked it.

"Are you here on your own?" Rangiku asked. "Or were you dragged here by someone else like I was?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I got dragged, but I'm here with a couple of people," Buffy replied, turning to where the boys were crowded. She was able to easily pick Ikkaku out of the crowd.

He was the only one that had the light bouncing off of his head.

"My best friend convinced me to come along with him," Rangiku continued, turning her attention to the group of males. She pointed to one in particular. "Gin's the silver haired kid standing near the bald guy and the girly-looking guy."

"The girly-looking guy is my… brother, Yumichika," Buffy said once she had seen where Rangiku was pointing. "The bald guy is his best friend and pain in my ass, Ikkaku."

"Small world, huh?" Rangiku remarked. "So, it baldy really that bad?"

"Most of the time I can ignore it," Buffy replied with a shrug. "Sometimes, though, he annoys me to the point where I can't help but smack him upside the head. Then, one thing leads to another and we end up fighting and Yumichika says he's surrounded by toddlers and threatens to abandon us. That usually makes us stop, though, so it works."

"No offence, but you don't look like you can take him," Rangiku said sceptically, looking from Buffy to Ikkaku and back again.

"There's more to me than meets the eye," Buffy replied, slightly miffed that yet another person didn't believe what she was capable of. She would have to show everyone that just because she was tiny she couldn't kick ass. She decided against telling Rangiku that she didn't look like much of a fighter either; after all, if she did she'd be doing the exact same thing she had done.

"Welcome, all of you, to the Shinigami Academy entrance exam."

A man had come forward and addressed the two groups, standing on an elevated platform so that he could seen and heard more easily. Buffy stood on her tiptoes in an attempt to get a better look, but found that it was difficult. Being short in a crowd sucked.

"It's not nice to laugh at people," Buffy said with a pout when she saw Rangiku trying not to laugh.

"Of course it isn't," Rangiku replied, still giggling. Buffy grumbled under her breath, silently wishing that she was still around "her" boys. Maybe then she would be able to convince Ikkaku to lift her up onto his shoulders. She huffed and turned her attention back to the man on the platform; while she couldn't see him, she could still hear him.

"You have all come here to see if you have the potential to become a Shinigami," the man continued. "To do that, we must evaluate you in several skill areas; how you do in these assessments will determine both your potential as a Shinigami and how much you still need to learn before you graduate the academy. Depending on how you do on the exams, you may not have to take a full course load.

"The examination is broken up into three parts. You will be evaluated on your hand-to-hand combat, your swordsmanship and your ability to use your spiritual power. You will be graded by instructors of the Academy, and you will be sparring with various unseated officers of the Thirteen Protection Squads. This exam should take the entire day, and results will be posted by tomorrow. If you have travelled from a distant district, we have places for you to stay overnight. Now, without further ado, let's get on with the examination."

Everything was a little chaotic as the groups were divided into smaller groups of four of five. Buffy ended up in a group with three other girls who looked almost identical; they could have easily been sisters, and probably were. All three looked rather fragile and delicate, almost like they didn't belong in a military recruitment examination. She looked over at the boys; Ikkaku and Yumichika had been split up. Yumichika was in a group with Gin, Rangiku's friend; Buffy waved at her brother, and he wiggled his fingers back and smiled at her. Ikkaku was in a group with men like him; surly and tough looking. Ikkaku caught Buffy's eye, his lips quirking up ever so slightly in amusement before his face settled back down into its customary scowl. She smiled back at him before turning her attention back to the man on the raised platform.

"We are about to begin the swordsmanship examination," he continued. "You have been grouped with people who appear to be at your skill level. You will be required to duel a series of unseated officers, five in total. Each combatant will become increasingly more difficult for your skill level. You will be duelling with wooden swords, as we do not want any permanent injuries to occur. The more opponents you defeat, the fewer swordsmanship classes you will need to take once you get into the academy. Easy enough to understand, yes? Decide amongst yourselves who wants to go first and we'll go from there."

The three girls turned to Buffy; it looked like it was going to be three against one.

"You can go first," the tallest one said, although she was maybe half an inch taller than Buffy herself, if that. The other two nodded in agreement.

"Fine by me," Buffy replied with a shrug. She wasn't worried about this examination, nor was she worried about the hand-to-hand combat examination. Maybe the girls were better at the spiritual power part of the academy or something.

Buffy stepped forward, alerting the man on the platform that she was going to go first. When everyone else was in place, the man on the platform held his hands up for quiet.

"Combatants, choose your weapon," the man on the platform said. Next to each group was a table of wooden swords of different lengths and shapes. She picked one that was closest to the katana she had been using since she had arrived and weighed it in her hand. Good weight, nice length; it would serve her well for the examination.

"Now that everyone has a weapon of their choice, let the first part of the examination begin," the man on the platform said. "You will fight each opponent until you are defeated, and then the next person in your group will be up. Sound simple enough? Then let's begin."

The man on the platform signalled them to begin. Buffy faced off with her first opponent, a young man who looked like he was in his late teens. He smirked slightly when he saw who his opponent was.

"I'll promise to go easy on you," he said, attempting to be charming. "Wouldn't want to ruin that pretty face of yours."

"Wish I could say the same," Buffy replied, launching into her attack. It took only a few moments for the boy to realize that Buffy knew what she was doing and could do it well, but by that time it was too late. Before he could fight back in earnest, Buffy had somehow gotten a hold of his sword arm, and had her own sword against his throat.

"If this were real, you'd be dead," she whispered in his ear before she left him to move on to the next person.

Because each officer was sequestered before their fights, they didn't get to see what Buffy was capable of before facing her. The exact same thing happened with each fight; her opponent would underestimate her, and she would end up beating her. After a while the fights would get longer, either from her exhaustion or the fact that her opponents had become more skilled; probably a combination of both.

"Someone's gotta be pullin' my leg here or something," said the large man who was Buffy's next opponent. He was tall and broad, dressed in the black, standard Shinigami uniform. His hair was pulled back from his face in cornrows, and he had a gold hoop in his nose and a silver hoop in each of his earlobes. He let out a booming laugh when he saw that Buffy only came up to his chest. "How did someone this small get this far?"

"Why don't you come here and find out?" Buffy replied, getting into a fighting stance. She was tired and sore, but she could take him. She hoped.

"You have spirit," the man said with a grin. "I like that. You'd probably do well in my squad."

"And what squad would that be?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow as she got into a fighting pose.

"I'm one of the twentieth seats of the eleventh division," the man replied, puffing out his chest. "You seem confident, little one. What makes you think you can take me on, and win?"

"I'm a hell of a lot stronger than I look," Buffy replied. "Now are you all talk or are you going to show me what you've got?"

"Right down to business, I see," the man said. "I like that. Maybe we could go out for drinks or someth…"

The man didn't get to finish the sentence because Buffy had cut him off by kicking him in the gut. He went flying, landing approximately six feet away. If he had been smaller, he probably would have gone farther.

The kick didn't inconvenience her opponent for long, as a moment later he had jumped back onto his feet, his eyes blazing. He growled under his breath, his nostrils flaring as he drew his own wooden sword.

"When I saw you, I was going to go easy on you, but now the gloves are off," the man snarled. "You're going down, bitch!"

Before Buffy knew it, the large man had rushed her and was attacking her relentlessly; it was all she could do to completely fend the attacks off. He was pushing her backwards, gaining the upper hand quickly and keeping it. He was too tall for Buffy to jump over, and his reach was such that Buffy couldn't find an opening that would allow her to get another attack in.

A loud whistle sounded through the room, causing Buffy to pause and glance around. The man took advantage of her distraction, and before anything else could be done, Buffy was punched square in the face. The force of the blow was enough to knock her down, and she was out cold before she hit the floor.

***

Buffy groaned, her hand going to her jaw as she began to wake. That particular area of her face was throbbing; she couldn't remember being in that much pain since she had arrived. Even Ikkaku impaling her with his katana hours after she had literally dropped into Rukongai didn't hurt this much.

"YUMICHIKA!"

Buffy flinched when she heard Ikkaku's loud voice from her bedside, calling Yumichika over, before she heard him get up and walk quickly away. If her head had been clear, she would have been surprised that Ikkaku was at her bedside, and Yumichika wasn't. However, it wasn't and she didn't dwell on it.

She felt a cool hand stroking her non-injured cheek as she came to. She tried to crack her eyes open, but she slammed them back shut when the bright light nearly blinded her.

"Captain, she's waking up," Yumichika said from her right, her injured side. If Yumichika was on that side, then who was stroking her cheek?

"Let's see what we have here, shall we?" said a new voice, a soft, female's voice. "Miss Ayasegawa, you're going to have to open your eyes so that we can check for a concussion."

"Too bright," Buffy groaned, refusing to open her eyes. "Hurts my eyes."

"The infirmary needs to be bright so that we can see even the tiniest injury on our patients," said the kind-sounding woman. Buffy's eyes popped open and she shot up off of the cot, trying to escape like her pants were on fire.

"I don't think so," said the woman with a chuckle, holding Buffy down firmly. "You're not going anywhere until I check you out and even then only if I deem you healthy enough to let you go. Now, if you don't lay back I can't guarantee this will be painless."

Buffy sighed and flopped back onto her pillow, looking at her surroundings. She was definitely in an infirmary; there were simple beds lining the walls and several people wandering around, dressed in Shinigami uniforms. The woman that was attending to her was pretty; she had pale skin, dark blue eyes and long, dark hair worn in a braid down her front. She, too, was dressed as a Shinigami, but she had a long, white jacket over her uniform. To her left, next to the woman, was Yumichika, holding her hand gently. To her right, sitting rather close to the bed, was Ikkaku.

"Buffy, this is Captain Retsu Unohana, the fourth division captain," Yumichika explained. "She heads up the medial and supply division."

"That is correct, Mr. Ayasegawa," Captain Unohana replied with a smile and a nod. "Now, I'm just going to cast some healing _kido_ and I'll be able to let you go, and I don't want to see you back in here for a good long while."

Buffy didn't say anything as Captain Unohana held out her hands; she was soon enveloped in a soft glow. She could see Unohana's lips moving, but heard no sound issuing from them.

Before long, the glow was gone, Captain Unohana's hands were folded demurely in her lap and the ache in Buffy's jaw was greatly reduced, almost gone.

"I think we're done here," Captain Unohana said with a soft smile before her expression turned serious. "But I don't want to see you in here for a long time. If I do, I will be greatly displeased."

"Sure, no problem," Buffy replied. _Next time I get hurt, I'll make sure I hide it so that people won't send me here,_ Buffy added on mentally as she sat up. Yumichika grabbed her arm and helped her off of the bed. She opened her mouth to protest, but Yumichika levelled her with a look that made her snap her mouth shut.

They left the infirmary without any other incidents, Yumichika on one side of her and Ikkaku on the other, both of them with a hand on her arm as if to hold her up. Buffy kind of expected that from Yumichika, but was surprised when Ikkaku had moved to her side and grasped her other arm.

"You guys can let me go now, I'm fully capable of walking on my own," Buffy said with a roll of her eyes and a slight smile. Neither man smiled back; Ikkaku even went as far as to glare at her. "Guys, what's wrong? You're beginning to scare me. Come on, it wasn't that bad! It wasn't even my fault, blame the guy that didn't stop when the whistle blew!"

"Now you know how we felt," Ikkaku said sourly, scowling as he released her arm and stalked off. Buffy stared at his back, wondering what she had done to make him so angry.

"What crawled up his butt?" Buffy asked Yumichika, glancing at him, startled when she saw worry creasing his brow. She knew he worried; being surrounded people like herself and Ikkaku, worrying came with the territory, but he did his best to hide it most of the time.

"You've got to understand, Ikkaku doesn't deal with emotions all that well," Yumichika began carefully. "Before he met you, he's only known anger, pain and the exhilaration of the fight. You scared the shit out of him today and he doesn't know how to deal with it. Come to think of it, you scared the crap out of me, too. And everyone else in there."

"I'm sorry," Buffy said, hanging her head. "I didn't mean to. It wasn't my fault! If it had been a real fight I wouldn't have let that whistle distract me, but I thought it was safe because hello, it was a test and the fighting should have stopped when the whistle blew."

"Don't worry, the guy got yelled at," Yumichika replied. "I'm not sure of what exactly went down, but there was a lot of yelling and gesturing before he got sent away. It should have been safe, I completely agree with you there, but I suppose everything isn't quite as it seems around here."

"I just hope that this doesn't count against me," Buffy said with a sigh, resting her cheek on Yumichika's shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Yumichika asked as he began leading her farther away from the infirmary and in the direction Ikkaku had stalked off in. They had gotten their cabin barracks assignment after they had finished their tests, and while he was sure Buffy had also been given an assignment somewhere other than their barracks, Yumichika didn't want to let her out of his sight.

"You know, the test," Buffy replied. "I just hope I don't get kicked out because I couldn't finish. I mean, I came this far and it would totally suck to be turned away now."

"Come on, they won't turn you away," Yumichika said confidently. "You might have to do the other two parts again, but I doubt they'll make you go home."

"Huh, I have no home to go to," Buffy replied. "It's kind of been with you and Ikkaku since I got here."

"Then we'll just have to make sure you get to stay," Yumichika said with a grin. "We won't know the results until tomorrow, so let's just try to relax until the morning, okay? We're here, let's see if Ikkaku made it in."

They had walked some distance, and Buffy hadn't realized they had reached the guest cabins in Seiretei. It was very basic; the cabin was one room, with four cots arranged with two cots on the left side of the room and two cots on the right side of the room. Only one cot was occupied; its occupant appeared to be sleeping, but Buffy doubted that he actually was.

"Come on Ikkaku, you big faker," Buffy said with a grin, bouncing across the room and sitting on the edge of his bed. He huffed and rolled away, showing her his back. Buffy sighed and poked him in the ribs. "You know, being worried about your friends is normal, it's not something to be pissed off about."

"I wasn't worried about you," Ikkaku grouched. "I'm just pissed I didn't get to knock you out myself."

"Butthole," Buffy said with a snort, shoving him. She must have shoved him too hard, because the force sent him toppling to the floor. Buffy laughed, getting up and skipping across the room to take the bed next to Yumichika as Ikkaku picked himself off of the floor. "You can't stay in denial forever, Ikkaku. One day you're going to wake up and realize what we've all known all along. You like me."

"It'll be a cold day in hell when that happens," Ikkaku snarked before rolling over and settling in for the night, grumbling under his breath all the while.

"He's such a grump," Buffy remarked as she sat cross-legged on the bed. She yawned widely, covering her mouth before continuing. "Hey Yumichika, I've got a question for you."

"What's your question, Buffy?" Yumichika asked, curious

"What was with the whole "sister" thing?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. "It's not like we can take it back because I'm already registered with your last name and I've been introducing myself as your sister, but I'm just curious."

"It seemed like an appropriate thing at the time," Yumichika replied with a shrug. "Would you rather be Ikkaku's sister? I'll admit, it would be rather amusing introducing yourself as his sister and have people wonder how someone as nice of you could be related to him, but I think it's much easier this way."

"Hell no," Buffy replied with a little shiver. She didn't have an almost-not-really-but-maybe crush on Yumichika, and if Ikkaku had been introduced as her brother it had the possibility of leading to awkwardness.

"You like him, don't you?" Yumichika asked.

"Shh!" Buffy said quickly, glancing over at Ikkaku. He looked like he was sleeping, but he could have been faking.

"I think I have my answer, then," Yumichika said with a satisfied smirk. "Good night, Buffy. Sleep well. Wake me if you need me."

"Sure, yeah, I'll do that," Buffy said with a sigh, snuggling under the blanket in preparation for sleep.

***

Bah, sorry this took so long. And sorry if it sounds awkward. This chapter was kicking and screaming as I tried to get it out. My muse seems to have abandoned me… maybe I should tempt her back with chocolate.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"_Into each generation, a Slayer is born. One girl in all of the world, a chosen one. One born with…"_

"…_the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil blah, blah, blah, I've heard it, okay?"_

_***_

"_Who are you?"_

"_Let's just say, I'm a friend."_

"_Yeah, well, maybe I don't want a friend."_

"_I didn't say I was yours."_

_***_

"_You're dead!"_

"_I may be dead, but I'm still pretty. Which is more than I can say for you."_

"_You were destined to die! It was written!"_

"_What can I say? I flunked the written."_

_***_

"_No weapons, no friends, no hope. Take all that away and what's left?"_

"_Me."_

_  
***_

"_Buffy? What's going on? Where are we? I – I don't remember."_

"_Angel?"_

"_You're hurt. Oh, Buffy… God. I… I feel like I haven't seen you in months. Oh my God, everything's so muddled. I… Oh. Oh, Buffy… what's happening?"_

"_Shh, don't worry about it."_

"_I love you."_

"_I love you."_

"_Close your eyes."_

"_Buffy…"_

_***_

"_Hey, you remember this? I took it from Faith. Stuck it in her gut. Just slid in her like she was butter. You wanna get it back from me… Dick?"_

_***_

"_There's a certain, um, dramatic irony attached to all this. A synchronicity that borders on-on predestination, one might say."_

"_Fire bad. Tree pretty."_

"_Yes, sorry. I'll go and tend to Wesley, see if he's still, um, whimpering."_

_***_

"_We survived."_

"_It was a hell of a battle."_

"_Not the battle. High school."_

_***_

"_They smell good, don't they?"_

"_What?"_

"_Clean sheets. Like summer."_

"_I wouldn't know."_

"_Right, I forgot."_

"_I noticed."_

"_I wish I could stay, but…"_

"_No, you have to go."_

"_It's just with…"_

"_Little sis coming. I know. So much to do before she gets here."_

_***_

"_Dawn, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will __always__ love you. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles... tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world... is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me."_

_***_

Buffy shot up out of bed, tears streaming down her face unchecked. Her eyes darted wildly around as she remained tense, only relaxing when she began to recognize her surroundings. It was late, the room was dark, but with her Slayer senses Buffy could easily make out Ikkaku's form sprawled out on the bed across the room and Yumichika was curled up in the bed next to hers, buried underneath the blanket and fast asleep.

Curling up into herself, Buffy drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, letting the tears flow. All of her memories, everything from the last twenty years of her life, and in particular the last five as the Slayer, coming back to her in one fell swoop was extremely overwhelming. Her memories were both good and bad, but the bad ones stuck with her the most.

"Buffy, what's wrong?"

She started slightly when a voice came from her bedside; she had been so wrapped up in her own musings that she hadn't heard anyone draw near. Glancing up, wiping the tears from her eyes as she did so, she was surprised to see Ikkaku standing there, looking concerned. He was shifting his weight from one foot to the other in discomfort, but he still looked concerned.

"Nothing, I'm fine, go back to bed," Buffy told him, offering him a watery smile before sniffling.

"Bullshit," Ikkaku retorted with a snort. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong. Scoot forward and make room."

"Why should I? You don't even like me," Buffy replied. "Go back to bed, I'll wake up Yumichika if my mood takes a turn for the worse."

"You don't want to wake Yumichika up," Ikkaku said. "Trust me. If the guy doesn't get his beauty sleep, he gets cranky. Really cranky. He gets really whiny and bitchy and I don't want to deal with it, do you?"

"Nice way to talk about your best friend," Buffy retorted. "And could you keep it down? You don't actually want him to hear us, do you?"

"He sleeps like a rock most of the time," Ikkaku replied with a shrug and a dismissive wave. He held out a hand for Buffy to take. "Come on, sit with me over on my bed if you're worried about waking him up. I promise, no funny business. You can tell me what's bothering you; I've heard that kind of thing helps."

Buffy looked at the hand warily before glancing over at Yumichika again. He was curled up under his blanket and breathing deeply, laying on his side with his back to her. For all intents and purposes, he appeared dead asleep and not even a bomb going off would wake him. Buffy sighed and took Ikkaku's hand. Grinning slightly, he hauled her off the bed and led her across the room to his so that they could talk without disturbing Yumichika.

Ikkaku sat at the head of the bed, his back against the wall and his legs spread wide. He patted the spot in front of him in invitation, his face serious.

"I-I think I'll be good over here," Buffy said quickly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Come on, I won't bite," Ikkaku said, before waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Unless, of course, that's what you're into."

"God, what the hell has gotten into you?!" Buffy exclaimed, shocked. Mere hours before he was acting as if he hated her, and now… now he was practically flirting. Had he heard her and Yumichika talking earlier? It was entirely possible but… no. There was no way he would be reacting to it this way, right? "What are you on, and can I get some of that?"

"I'm not on anything," Ikkaku replied with a shrug. "I just thought you might want some cheering up. I can be nice when I want to be. Unfortunately for everyone else, I don't want to be nice most of the time."

Buffy smiled, trying to cover the snort of laughter with a cough. Ikkaku smirked triumphantly, having achieved part of his goal. His face grew serious, concerned again, as his gaze settled on Buffy again.

"So, what's bothering you so badly that you were willing to risk a cranky Yumichika in the morning?" Ikkaku asked, arching an eyebrow. Buffy sighed; she was sure that Ikkaku wouldn't give up if she kept stalling, so giving in was the only option at the moment.

"Do you remember your life when you were alive?" Buffy asked. She knew she had asked this when they had first met, but she hadn't gotten a straight answer out of him at that time.

"Some," Ikkaku replied with a shrug. "It's been a very long time since I came here so things are a little fuzzy, and my memory wasn't great to begin with. Something to do with my death, we think. I never really thought about it."

"Well, everything came back to me, just now," Buffy said quietly. "The last twenty years just flooded back, and the memories from the last five years or so just overwhelmed me. I swear, I'll be fine."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ikkaku asked, shifting a little in discomfort. "It could help."

"If you don't mind listening, I don't mind talking," Buffy replied with a shrug, shifting a little so that she was sitting closer to Ikkaku.

"If you wanna talk, I'll gladly listen," Ikkaku shot back. Buffy took a deep breath and closed her eyes, exhaling slowly before launching into her story.

She started out at the beginning; her life in LA, finding out she was the Slayer, losing her first Watcher, Merrick, her parent's divorce, moving to Sunnydale. When she got to the Angel saga of her life and started choking up a little as she told Ikkaku how much she had loved him and how she had had to kill him to save the world, Ikkaku moved so that he was seated behind her, rubbing her back.

When she started talking about Parker and Riley, Buffy could tell that Ikkaku was not particularly happy about what she was telling him, although he did snicker a little when she described the cavewoman incident. That had earned him a smack on the arm and a glare from Buffy.

Then the serious topics came up again. Dawn appearing in her life, Glory, her mother's death, dying to save the world. In the process of telling him about the last year of her life, Ikkaku's arms had somehow found their way around her waist and his chin rested on her shoulder. By the time she was finished describing her last moments with her sister before her swan dive, Buffy was crying, the tears streaking salty tracks down her face.

"Almost better not remembering, huh?" Ikkaku asked after a few moments of digesting everything she had told him.

"Some things, yeah," Buffy replied, remembering the Angelus fiasco, The Master, the mayor's ascension, Glory, dying. "But there's good stuff in there too."

Her mind went to the friends she had lost by jumping to her death. Willow and Xander, her first friends in Sunnydale. Giles, who had been so much more than her Watcher. Dawn, the mystical ball of green energy that had been stuffed into a fleshy shell but felt like her blood. Her mother, who had died shortly before Buffy had jumped, had been her rock these last couple of years. If anything, she missed her sister the most. Buffy's eyes began to well with tears again when it finally hit her; she was never going to see her Sunnydale family again.

"Hey, none of that now," Ikkaku said, wiping away her tears again. He turned Buffy so that she was facing him, looking into her eyes after doing so. "You might have lost your family in the living world, but you gained me and Yumichika when you dropped into our lives. That's gotta count for something, right?"

"Some consolation prize," Buffy retorted with a snort. Ikkaku pouted, looking for all intents and purposes like a petulant child. "Oh come on 'Kaku, I was joking! You know, making with the funny?"

"Wasn't all that funny, girly," Ikakku replied, although he had an amused smirk on his lips. "And no shortening my name! It's either Ikkaku or Madarame, nothing else."

"Okay, sure, whatever," Buffy replied with a small smile and a dismissive wave of her hand before she turned serious again. "Thanks again, y'know, for listening and stuff."

"Hey, if it prevents us from having to deal with a cranky Yumichika, I'm happy to do it," Ikkaku said with a smirk. Buffy huffed in annoyance before shoving him, smirking in satisfaction when he flailed and fell of the bed.

"Good night, Ikkaku," Buffy said, blowing him a kiss before getting up and making her way back to her own bed next to Yumichika's. She snuggled up underneath the blankets and closed her eyes, asleep within minutes.

***

The next morning Buffy woke feeling refreshed, all of her bad dreams and bad memories banished from her mind thanks to the bout of verbal diarrhoea in the middle of the night. She groaned when she remembered everything she had said to Ikkaku before she had been able to sleep. _Dear Lord, what have I done?_ she asked herself as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Both Yumichika and Ikkaku were already awake, fully dressed and eating breakfast.

"Why didn't you guys wake me up?" Buffy asked through a yawn and a stretch.

"Ikkaku told me you didn't sleep very well last night, so we didn't want to wake you," Yumichika replied with a smile. "I brought some breakfast for you, though Come on, eat up."

Buffy's head shot up, her eyes locking on Ikkaku's before they narrowed in suspicion How much had he told Yumichika? Hopefully not much. She didn't want to make him any more worried than he already was.

"Well, thank you, that's very considerate of you," Buffy said carefully. She would have to talk with Ikkaku, and soon, about what had and had not been shared between him and Yumichika, and what she would be comfortable with him sharing with others in the future. She crossed the room and sat in between Ikkaku and Yumichika, surveying the spread in front of them.

"We got some fruit and bread this time around," Yumichika said, gesturing to the spread. "No red bean paste buns this time around, I'm afraid."

"That's okay, a little variety never hurt anyone," Buffy replied, gladly taking a peach and a piece of bread to munch on.

"How are you feeling?" Yumichika asked. "Nervous?"

"Nervous? Why would I be nervous?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow before it dawned on her. "Oh right, that."

"I think that knock to the head might have messed her up more than we thought," Ikkaku said with a smirk. "I mean, if she's forgetting simple things like the big, scary test looming over her head, something must have happened in that pretty blonde head of hers."

"Shut up, Ikkaku," Buffy replied, smacking him on the arm. "And shouldn't _you_ be nervous? Big test results looming over your head?"

"We aced it, though," Ikkaku replied confidently. "Right, Yumichika?"

"It certainly seems that way, although I distinctly remember someone having a little trouble with using his spiritual pressure in a way that can be useful," Yumichika replied with a smirk.

"What, that little silver haired kid?" Ikkaku asked.

"No, you," Yumichika said with a roll of his eyes. "The silver haired kid did exceptionally well, actually. So did your little friend, Buffy."

"What little friend?" Buffy asked, confused. The only friends she had really made were the two men she was currently sitting with.

"I'm telling you, that knock on the head messed her up, big time," Ikkaku said with a smirk. "He's talking about that strawberry-blonde you were talking to before the testing started."

"Oh, her," Buffy replied, remembering Rangiku. "Wouldn't really call her a friend; she underestimated my abilities and laughed at my height. Seriously wished I was standing near you guys when we were being given instructions."

"Why?" Yumichika asked, confused. "We weren't standing any closer to the front than you were. In fact, I think Ikkaku was farther back because of his height."

"Yeah, but I probably could have convinced Ikkaku to hoist me up on his shoulders so I could see," Buffy replied.

"What, you don't think I'd be able to lift you?" Yumichika asked, pouting slightly, although Buffy was sure it was just for show.

"No, no, I have complete faith in you," Buffy replied. "You probably would have done it, no questions asked. But I like a challenge."

Yumichika smiled knowingly when he heard that, but said nothing. Ikkaku looked from Buffy to Yumichika and back again, looking somewhat confused.

"I don't think I want to know what's going on in your head, Yumichika," Ikkaku said, edging closer to Buffy. "I'm going to go over here, away from you, and hope that Buffy isn't going to try and kick my ass."

Buffy arched an eyebrow at Yumichika, curious as to what he was doing. For a moment, she wondered if he had heard and seen her with Ikkaku last night, then dismissed it just as quickly. He had been completely knocked out the night before.

"Well, I for one am curious as to what our test results are," Yumichika said, getting up. "They should be up by now. Are you two coming with me?"

"I think I'll stay here for now," Buffy said quietly. "I'm not too eager to see how badly I failed."

"I'll check your marks for you and let you know, then," Yumichika said. "Coming, Ikkaku?"

"Sure, be there in a minute," Ikkaku said, waving Yumichika off. The dark haired man looked sceptical, as if wondering what Buffy and Ikkaku were up to. "Seriously, go on. We're not planning on taking over the world or anything, I just want to make sure Buffy's okay."

_That_ statement gave Yumichika pause, but hanging around would have arose suspicions so he turned and left. As soon as they couldn't hear Yumichika's footsteps anymore, Ikkaku turned to Buffy. "So, are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'm going to be fine," Buffy replied with a smile. The tears had returned to her eyes, but they hadn't fallen yet.

"None of that crying crap," Ikkaku said, sounding serious. It would have worked except for the twinkle in his eye. "You got one free pass to cry on my shoulder, and you used it last night. No more, got it?"

"Sure, wouldn't want anyone to think you were a fluffy bunny or anything like that," Buffy said with a snort, swiping a finger underneath her eyes to catch any tears that might try to escape.

"So, do you remember anything else about your past?" Ikkaku asked. "Like, for instance, your name?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter now," Buffy replied with a shrug. "I'm Buffy Ayasegawa, and this is my life now. I left Sunnydale and everything else behind when I died, including my old name."

"Okay, I can accept that," Ikkaku said. "You going to talk about it with Yumichika?"

"Probably, on my own time," Buffy replied. "Which means no spilling the beans, mister!"

"I can keep a secret, you know," Ikkaku replied with a slight smile before he sighed and glanced at the door leading to the main walkway. "I should probably go catch up with Yumichika. Are you sure you're going to be okay here on your own?"

"Not a child," Buffy reminded him. "Besides, I think after my performance yesterday it might be a good idea for me to lay low. I'm pretty sure I was the only one knocked out cold yesterday and missed two thirds of the testing."

"Well, if you're sure," Ikkaku said, unsure even as Buffy nodded enthusiastically.

"Now get out there before Yumichika thinks we're up to something nefarious," Buffy said, becoming thoughtful before beaming. "Ooh, I used a big word! Giles would have been so proud of me."

Ikkaku snorted, even though he could hear the hitch in Buffy's voice when she mentioned Giles. Not wanting to leave her but knowing she was right about Yumichika, he headed for the door, turning one last time to make sure Buffy was okay.

"I'll try not to be long," Ikkaku said before turning and heading out, not waiting for Buffy to reply. With a sigh, Buffy turned and flopped onto one of the beds. She closed her eyes briefly, not intending to fall asleep or anything, but her consciousness slipped into black.

***

She woke to someone shaking her gently in an attempt to wake her. Not wanting to leave the blissful oblivion, Buffy rolled over and buried her face into the pillow in an attempt to ignore the shaking and the voices telling her to get up.

"Buffy, you have to see this!" Yumichika said, shaking her harder. Buffy finally extracted herself from her pillow, glaring at her adoptive brother.

"There had better be an apocalypse or something," Buffy grumbled, getting up and running her fingers through her hair. Yumichika arched an eyebrow, curious about the comment, shooting Ikkaku an inquisitive look when he snickered.

"It's important otherwise I wouldn't have woken you," Yumichika said as he helped her out of the bed. "You have to come and see, because you wouldn't have believed me if I told you."

"Okay, where's the fire?" Buffy asked, allowing herself to be led out of the hut and into the main path.

"Just come with us," Ikkaku said. He seemed happy, which Buffy found odd. In the time she had known him, except for that momentary insanity after finding out where Zaraki had ended up, she'd never actually seen him happy.

Buffy let herself be led to a bank of bulletin boards, each with two rows of three sheets of paper tacked to it. Upon closer inspection, Buffy saw that they were the test results.

"Guys, I already know I failed," Buffy said when she saw what she was looking at. "No matter how well you do on a third of the test, it's still a third of the marks and from where I come from, that doesn't qualify as a pass."

"That's just the thing, Buffy," Yumichika said, pointing to one of the sheets of paper. Buffy looked at what he was pointing at. It was her name, Buffy Ayasegawa, and what was written there had to have been a mistake because there was no way in hell that had happened.

"I passed?" Buffy asked. She looked at her name again and the words underneath each of the testing categories. Under each category had the word "pass". She looked again, making sure her name lined up with the correct results. However, after doing this five times, Buffy had come to the conclusion that she was reading the sheet correctly.

But that was impossible!

"There has to be a mistake," Buffy said.

"I don't think these are the kind of people who make mistakes," Yumichika said with a smile. "But, if you like, there's someone you can speak to about your results if you think there's a mistake. It says so at the bottom of the page."

Sure enough, there was the name of a person to contact and what building he was in.

"Well, come on then," Buffy said, grabbing both boys by the hand and dragging them down the path to the office at the end of it. Neither male said anything; seeing the determined glint in Buffy's eyes gave them good reason to believe that they wouldn't have been able to talk her out of it anyway.

"How can I help you three?" asked the man behind the desk when they entered the office. It was the same man that had met them before the test the previous day.

"I would like to speak to you about my results," Buffy said as she let go of Yumichika's and Ikkaku's hands.

"I'm sorry if you failed, miss, but there is another test in a week if you would like to take it again," the man replied calmly.

"I passed."

"Then I fail to see what the problem is, unless you were aiming to fail," the man replied. "Which would make me question your mental faculties, but that is neither here nor there."

"I was just wondering how that was possible," Buffy replied. "I mean, I got sucker punched in the first round and got completely knocked out. How was it possible for me to pass a test I only got to take a third of?"

"Ah, you're the Ayasegawa girl, aren't you?" the man asked knowingly. Buffy nodded. "Then I think I can explain to you how the test is really set up. You see, you don't need to sit the entire test to pass. The three parts give the applicant three opportunities to show off all of their skills. If you show them all in the first part, it's pretty much an instant pass."

"So, I showed everything required in the first part, before I got knocked out?" Buffy asked.

"I believe so," the man replied with a smile.

"Even the spiritual power part?" Buffy asked. She had wondered how she had passed that one; she hadn't felt any different while fighting. It had been like she was Slaying again, fighting and letting her power flow through her.

"That was definitely interesting to watch," the man said. "You were showing your spiritual power in your movements. No one could have moved as fast as you did without the help of spiritual pressure."

"So, I have a place at the academy?" Buffy asked.

"If you want it, it's there for you," the man replied. "You start in a couple of days; you should get your roommate assignments before then."

"Thank you," Buffy said gratefully, smiling at him. He smiled back before Buffy turned and left, a slight skip to her step.

"See, I told you it wasn't a mistake," Yumichika said with a smirk.

"Sorry, I just had to check," Buffy replied with a sheepish smile. "So, you guys passed too, right?"

"Yep," Ikkaku said with a wide grin. "Come on, let's go celebrate! There's a party tonight for all of the new academy recruits. You two in?"

"Should be fun," Yumichika replied. "How about you, Buffy?"

"Sure, it'll be fun to get my dance on," Buffy replied with a grin, still giddy.

She had passed the test and gotten into the academy, she had two of the greatest friends a girl could ask for even if one of them could be a bit of a jerk sometimes and her memories were beginning to come back. Life was pretty good for Buffy right then.

***

Gah, sorry it took so long! I know, it's kind of out of character, but we don't see a lot of Ikkaku in private moments so who's to say he wouldn't be like that? Anyway, things should really be picking up now that they're in the academy. More canon characters will be making appearances now that we're in Seiretei.

As always, reviews are loved, constructive criticism is helpful and flames will be used to toast marshmallows. Until next time!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Returning to their cabin, they discovered that someone had come into their cabin, leaving a package on each of the beds.

"Ooh, presents!" Buffy said happily, bouncing across the room to her bed. Ikkaku and Yumichika just looked at each other and rolled their eyes before following Buffy inside. A privacy screen had been set up in the corner as well, the panels decorated with painted cherry blossoms.

Buffy bounced happily on her bed as she tore open the package. Inside was a set of clothes like she had never seen before. Wide legged red pants, an undershirt and an overshirt that crossed over the front and tied at the waits. There was an emblem on the front of the shirt on the left hand side. Also included were a pair of socks and a pair of sandals.

"Ooh, clothes!" Buffy said, excited. They weren't exactly fashionable in her opinion, but she had seen so many people wearing this particular style of dress that it had to have been the style, and Buffy was not going to be unfashionable. She looked up to see Yumichika and Ikkaku staring at her as if she had grown a second head. "What? My hair looks bad, doesn't it? I knew I should have tried to find a mirror before we went out there. Why didn't either of you tell me?"

"No, Buffy, your hair's fine," Yumichika replied quickly. "Very pretty. Not as pretty as me, but it's rather difficult to top my beauty, so I won't fault you for trying."

"Then what's the matter?" Buffy asked.

"Well, it's just… um," Ikkaku started, fumbling over his words.

"What Ikkaku means to say, is that we haven't really seen you act like a girl," Yumichika explained with a smile. "A sight that, if I may say, is rather refreshing."

"Yeah, what he said," Ikkaku said with a nod before crossing the room and opening his own package.

"Don't think that because I'm acting like this I still can't kick your ass," Buffy said as she grabbed her clothes and headed for the privacy screen.

"Like you could kick my ass before," Ikkaku said with a roll of his eyes. Before he knew it, he was on the ground with Buffy on top of him, having been knocked onto his back when she tackled him.

"Wanna bet?" Buffy asked with a playful smirk.

"Not this again," Yumichika said with a sigh and a roll of his eyes as Ikkaku flipped them over so that he was now on top and Buffy's back was to the dirt floor.

"You were saying?" Ikkaku asked, smirking back at her. "Just because you surprised me, it doesn't mean you can beat me."

He tried to get up, but was prevented by Buffy grabbing onto his shoulders before using her Slayer strength to flip them over, slamming Ikkaku's shoulders into the ground.

"You were saying?" Buffy mimicked, her eyes twinkling in triumph. Ikkaku's eyes widened as he realized just how strong Buffy was before they narrowed in annoyance.

"You've been holding back!" he exclaimed.

"Have not!" Buffy shot back.

"You have so!" Ikkaku retorted. "You didn't seem this strong when I first met you, and now you're slamming me into the ground!"

"I don't know what's going on, but I swear I wasn't holding back," Buffy replied stubbornly, relaxing her grip a bit. As soon as she did so, Ikkaku shoved her off of him and got up, stalking out of the cabin.

"Great, what did I do this time?" Buffy wondered, rolling her eyes. She went to get up, only to find Yumichika at her side helping her to her feet in an instant. "I just don't get him! Everything I do seems to have him annoyed, angry or upset. It's so frustrating!"

"I know, I know, some days I don't get him either, like how he feels the need to risk his life all of the time," Yumichika said. Buffy sat down on a bed, and Yumichika sat next to her. "However, I think I can explain why he was so upset this time around. When he fights, he goes all out and expects his opponents to do the same. When they don't, he feels like they're dishonouring him or something and he gets rather angry."

"And he would be angry with me because?" Buffy asked. "I told him, I wasn't holding back before."

"How do you think this looks like to him, though?" Yumichika asked. "Think about it. You two went from him beating you into the ground to you being able to slam him into the ground without breaking a sweat. It looks like you've been holding back from the start, something that should have saved his ego, but it didn't."

"But I haven't!" Buffy exclaimed. She understood the reason behind Ikkaku's anger and possibly hurt towards her, but she still thought it unreasonable that he wouldn't even listen to her. "Do you think it's been long enough that I can claim I've just improved or something?"

"I doubt it, but you never know with Ikkaku. He can be a little dim," Yumichika said with a smirk. "Why do you think you're getting stronger, if it's not improvement?"

"The thing is, I think it might be, but not really," Buffy replied. Yumichika arched an eyebrow, a curious expression on his face plainly asking Buffy to continue. "I think my Slayer powers might be coming back."

"You think they went away in the first place?" Yumichika asked. Buffy glanced at him, and saw that he didn't quite believe the Slayer story anyway.

"Kind of. I mean, it was kind of a shock to my system when I landed here," Buffy replied.

"But how do you know that you were the Slayer?" Yumichika asked. Buffy chewed on her lip, not sure how to answer. On the one hand, she knew that she should probably tell him that her memories had come back somewhat, so that he would be in the loop as well. On the other hand, though, she kind of liked the fact that she and Ikkaku had their own secret. However, seeing as Ikkaku wasn't speaking to her and she didn't want to alienate Yumichika, the only thing she could think of was to tell the truth.

"It's like this," Buffy began. "My memories came back last night. I didn't want either of you to know, but Ikkaku caught me crying and wouldn't leave me alone until I told him what was wrong."

"I see," Yumichika said. "And why didn't you wake me up instead? Surely I would have been a better choice to comfort you when you were distraught."

"You know, I thought of that," Buffy replied. "Even tried to convince Ikkaku that it would be better for me to speak to you and that he didn't need to worry about it. He completely nixed that idea, saying that you got bitchy if you didn't get enough sleep."

"Did he now?" Yumichika asked, his eyes flashing as an amused smirk spread across his lips. Buffy smiled to herself in satisfaction; that would show Ikkaku for not believing her when she told the truth!

"You're not going to hurt him too badly, are you?" Buffy asked.

"No, just maim him a little," Yumichika replied. "No one calls me bitchy and gets away with it."

"Just bring him back in one piece," Buffy said and Yumichika got up from the bed. He looked down at her, surprised. "I've kinda grown attached to him. And besides, he probably wouldn't be too happy with you if you took him out of the fight, so to speak, for an extended amount of time."

"Good point," Yumichika said. "I'll be back as soon as I can, definitely in time for that party tonight."

"See you later," Buffy said with a smile as Yumichika turned and left the cabin, leaving Buffy alone. She turned to the pile of clothing on her bed. "Okay, time to figure out how to put this stuff on."

As Yumichika left and Buffy closed the door of the cabin, a figure, a man, extracted himself from the shadows. He rubbed his hands together and chuckled before rushing off in the opposite direction Yumichika had gone to places unknown.

***

The sun was low in the sky and on the verge of setting, turning the sky an amazing array of colors when Yumichika and Ikkaku stumbled home. Ikkaku didn't even look Buffy's way when he grabbed his clothes and stalked over to the privacy screen to change. Yumichika smiled at Buffy apologetically but didn't say anything. She understood, though. It was amazing; she'd only known these boys, men, really, for a few weeks and she was already reading them as well as she could read Xander or Willow. Buffy smiled sadly at the thought of her friends, wondering what they were doing and how they were holding up.

"What's the matter, Buffy?" Yumichika asked, breaking Buffy from her thoughts.

"Just thinking, about stuff," Buffy replied with a sigh. "Wondering if my friends miss me as much as I miss them, that kind of thing. Wondering if my sister is going to school, although I wouldn't blame her if she didn't."

"Why is that?" Yumichika asked.

"She's had a rough year," Buffy replied. She didn't want to elaborate on it, not now. The emotional wounds were too fresh, too open for her to discuss the situation freely. In time, she would.

"I see," Yumichika said. He was silent for a moment before speaking again. "If you need to talk or anything, you know I'm here, right?"

"Thanks, Yumi," Buffy replied with a grateful smile. Just then, Ikkaku came storming out from behind the privacy screen clad in just his pants, his overshirt and undershirt balled up in his hands.

"Well, it looks like it's my turn," Yumichika said, grabbing his still unopened package from his bed. "Try not to kill each other, okay? I don't want to pick up the pieces when I get out of here."

"Can't make any promises," Buffy replied absently, her eyes on Ikkaku. She'd been pressed up against him enough times to know that he had muscles, but holy cow! If she'd known he was built like that, she probably would have been campaigning to make sure he kept his shirt off all the time. Of course, if he knew her reaction to it, he probably would have kept it off in the hope that it would give him a distraction in any fight that they may have.

"See something you like, Buffy?" Ikkaku asked with a smirk.

"Nope, not at all," Buffy replied, averting her gaze and fighting down the blush staining her cheeks. "And hey, weren't you supposed to be, like, not speaking to me or something?"

"Oh, right," Ikkaku said, scowling at her before he put his shirt on. Buffy watched him out of the corner of her eye until Yumichika came out from behind the privacy screen, impeccably dressed.

"So, are we all ready to go?" Yumichika asked with a smile as he surveyed the scene. The scowl on Ikkaku's face was normal, but the blush on Buffy's cheeks were not. While he had heard some of what had gone on in the main room while he had been changing, he had been too concerned with making sure his clothes looked impeccable that he wasn't quite able to keep a full ear on the conversation. He was going to have to ask Buffy about it when he got her alone, if that was even possible.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ikkaku replied. "How about you, Buffy?"

"Let's get this over and done with," Buffy said, wanting to get as far away from Ikkaku as she could. She didn't think she could deal with him smirking at her teasingly for very much longer, and at least at a party she could get away from him.

"Then let's go and meet our fellow students then," Yumichika suggested. He took Buffy's arm and led them out the door, Ikkaku bringing up the rear. The walk to where the party was going to be held was a silent one, but because Buffy couldn't see Ikkaku she began to relax a little, looking forward to this little shindig.

When they finally arrived, the room was already full with people, mostly from the test from the previous day. One person in the crowd in particular came rushing through, enveloping Buffy in a hug.

"I'm so glad to see you're okay!" she said happily. Buffy stepped back to see Rangiku Matsumoto, the girl she had met the previous day when waiting for the test to begin.

"Um, thanks?" Buffy said, slightly unsure. She didn't really think she'd made a connection with this girl, but having a female ally might be a good thing. Buffy wondered who her roommate was going to be, and hoped whoever it was, was a cool person. Having one hellish roommate experience in college was bad enough and she didn't really want to repeat it.

"So, you passed too?" Rangiku asked as she dragged Buffy to the refreshment table. Buffy threw Yumichika a look over her shoulder and mouthed 'help', but one look at the expression on his face and she knew she wasn't going to get any help from him. She tried Ikkaku, but that was a lost cause. He was studiously looking away from her, scowl firmly on his face.

"Stupid boys," she muttered under her breath before answering Rangiku's question. "Yep, with flying colors apparently."

"Do you know what class you're going to be in?" she asked as she poured Buffy a drink. "Here, try this, you'll like it."

"Thanks," Buffy replied, taking the small cup from Rangiku. "And no, I don't know which class I'm going to be in. Do you?"

"No," Rangiku replied. "I don't think anyone does, but I thought you might be different or something."

"I see," Buffy replied. They were silent for a few moments as they examined the room. Buffy was trying to catch Yumichika's eye when Rangiku spoke up again.

"Come on, let's go talk to the guys over there!" Rangiku said, grabbing Buffy by the hand and dragging her across the room to where a group of men stood. Most of them looked at the two women approaching with interest; one tall with strawberry blonde hair and big breasts and the other tiny, petite and blonde.

"Hi boys!" Rangiku said flirtatiously with a wave. Most of the men flocked to her immediately, save for one. He had a flat top hair cut and wore sunglasses. His shirt front was open, revealing a sliver of lean chest. He scowled over at the group of men now fawning over Rangiku.

"I'm guessing you don't like these party things either?" Buffy ventured, getting his attention.

"What gave you your first clue?" the man asked, his voice a deep rumble. He gestured to Rangiku and her admirers. "And it's not that I don't like them, it's just I don't like the fact that some men flock to the first pretty woman that happens to walk in their direction."

"Do you want me to go?" Buffy asked, beginning to feel like she was unwanted. "Because I should probably go and find my brother to let him know I'm okay. Rangiku kind of dragged me over here and I didn't get a chance to tell him where I was headed."

"Nah, you can stick around, you're not so bad," the man said. "And I'm sure he'll realize you're a big girl soon enough. Figuratively, anyway. By the way, I'm Tetsuzaemon Iba, although most people just call me Iba. The first name is a bit of a mouthful, I guess. And who might you be?"

"Buffy Ayasegawa," Buffy replied with a smile.

"So, you're the one," Iba said with a grin.

"I'm the one what?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow, curious.

"You're that girl that took on that Eleventh Squad goon," Iba said, slightly in awe.

"People know about that?" Buffy asked, incredulous.

"Well, yeah," Iba replied. "Apparently, it's the farthest a woman has gotten in the combat phase of the entrance exam."

"Please tell me you're joking," Buffy said, burying her face in her hands. That was the last thing she needed; if Ikkaku found out about this, he'll think she was holding back earlier for sure and wouldn't listen to her when she said otherwise.

"I think it's awesome," Iba said with a grin before he looked at Buffy. "You don't?"

"It's just, there's this guy," Buffy began, and she could see Iba's shoulders slump a little, just enough for her to notice. "But we're not like that, I swear! We just fight, a lot, and he always ends up beating me. Well, we got into another scuffle this morning and I kind of slammed him into the ground. Now he's accusing me of holding back and we're not really talking because he's being a stubborn butthead."

"And this would be a bad thing why?" Iba asked.

"Well, he's the first friend I made when I got here and we're finally getting along without me wanting to smack him upside the head every minute. Now it's like every five," Buffy replied, and Iba smiled at that. "And besides that, he's my brother's best friend and I really don't want to be the force that drives them apart."

"I see," Iba said, stroking his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "How about, just for tonight, you forget about him and your brother and just have fun. Whaddaya say?"

"What do you have in mind?" Buffy asked, cautious. The last time she had fun involving alcohol or strange men in general, she'd turned into the Cave Slayer. While she was pretty sure that wouldn't happen again, it was tough to get that memory out of her head.

"Well, we seem to be doin' pretty good just sitting here and talkin'," Iba replied before taking a sip of his drink. "Why don't we just keep doin' that for now, unless you got any other ideas?"

"Sitting and talking works for me," Buffy replied, taking a sip of her own drink. Surprisingly, it was very good. She wasn't sure what it was, but she liked it.

"So, why did you join the academy?" Iba asked.

"To be honest, I kind of got dragged here by my brother and his friend," Buffy replied. "The friend kind of has a vendetta against someone in the squads, and since I didn't really have anywhere else to go, I decided to tag along. Glad I did, too. So, what about you?"

"Personal reasons," Iba replied evasively.

"Such as?" Buffy asked. "Come on, I gave you an honest reason, so you have to do the same."

"I don't wanna and you can't make me," Iba said, taking a swig of his beer. "Next question. How about you tell me how you got so far in the test? No woman has gotten that far, and I'm sure people are wantin' answers."

"No comment," Buffy replied.

"I'm sure people thought you were cheatin'," Iba wheedled.

"And that's their problem, not mine," Buffy replied. "If the officials thought I was cheating, I would have been investigated by now."

"Point taken," Iba said. A shadow fell over them at that moment, and Buffy looked up to see who it was. It was a strange looking man, with a painted face and curious amber coloured eyes. A shock of blue hair covered his head, and Buffy wondered if it was dyed or not. He was dressed in a standard Shinigami uniform, all in black, although it didn't hide the rest of his unusual appearance.

"Can I help you?" Buffy asked, curious as to what this strange man would want from her.

"I would like to borrow you for a moment," the man said with a would-be kind smile, if it had reached his eyes at all. Iba shot a concerned look at Buffy before looking up at the man in front of him. "Don't worry, I should be able to bring your girlfriend back in one piece… this time, anyway."

Iba moved to get up from his seat, but Buffy's hand on his arm stopped him. He looked down at her, and she thought he looked surprised, but with those glasses on she couldn't be sure.

"I'll be fine," Buffy said as she got up. "It's not like he's going to try something in a room full of people. Right?"

"You would think," the man said. "Come along, I wish to speak to you in private."

He turned and began walking away, not checking to see if Buffy was keeping up. She chewed her lip for a moment, wondering if she could get away with simply not following him, but thought better of it. If it came down to it, she could probably get away by kicking him in the crotch and running for it.

"Okay, so who are you and what do you want?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow and crossing her arms across her chest when she had been led to a secluded corner of the room.

"I am Mayuri Kurotsuchi of the Twelfth Division, and I wish to experiment on you," he introduced himself, waving his hand in an imperial manner.

"I beg your pardon?" Buffy asked, a little shocked. "I think I might need my hearing checked, because I could have sworn you said you wanted to experiment on me."

"You didn't hear incorrectly, girlie," Mayuri replied. She shivered in revulsion. While she didn't mind Ikkaku calling her "girlie" – in fact, she kind of liked it – it sounded very wrong coming from this man. "I overheard the discussion you had with your brother earlier, and after viewing the footage of the most recent entrance exam and doing some of my own research, I must say I'm quite intrigued. I would like to run some mostly painless tests on you, to see what you are capable of and what your limits are. I say mostly painless because I have never run these tests before and can't accurately determine how much pain they will cause."

"Please tell me this is some sick joke," Buffy said. She couldn't, no, wouldn't believe this guy, and she definitely wasn't going with him, even if he paid her, which she doubted. With her experience with the Initiative, she would never submit to any kind of experimentation, no matter how painless or benign.

"I am a scientist, of course I would not joke about something like this," Mayuri replied.

"No deal," Buffy said, turning to walk away only to have Mayuri grab her arm with his cold fingers in a surprisingly strong grip. "Let me go before I break your arm."

"I never said I was making a deal with you, Ayasegawa," Mayuri hissed. "I only thought it polite to make you aware of my experimentations because as a fellow Shinigami it would only be fair."

"I said, let me go," Buffy repeated, grabbing Mayuri's wrist with her free hand and squeezing. Before long he winced in pain and let her go. "Nice to see you can actually listen to people."

"This isn't over, Ayasegawa," Mayuri hissed, his lip curling. "You're what I want, and I always get what I want."

"I'm shaking in my sandals," Buffy said sarcastically as Mayuri stormed out. Buffy watched him leave, making sure that he was out of the building before turning and returning to her table, surprised that Iba was still sitting there waiting for her.

"What was that all about?" he asked. "You know, the usual story," Buffy replied. "Guy hears girl talking to her brother, guy does research on the discussion subject, discovers girl might be interesting and tells said girl that he wants to experiment on her. Girl tells guy to shove off and when guy grabs onto girl's arm, said girl almost breaks said guy's arm."

"You broke his arm?" Iba asked, incredulous.

"I said almost," Buffy replied. "But I really don't want to talk about it right now. Can we forget it, please?"

"Works for me," Iba said. "I say we have a toast. To… forgetting creepy guys who want to experiment on pretty girls."

"Cheers," Buffy said, clinking her glass with his bottle, blushing a little at the pretty girl remark.

The rest of the evening went like this, each toast getting more and more ridiculous. Their table slowly became littered with bottles and glasses as the night wore on, and by the time Ikkaku and Yumichika found them, Buffy was quite sloshed and quickly on her way to being trashed.

"Hey guys!" she greeted them with an enthusiastic wave before she hiccupped and giggled. "Meet my new friend Iba! Iba, this is my brother Yumi and his friend Kakku."

"I told you not to shorten my name," Ikkaku ground out. "But it's so loooong," Buffy whined before she hiccupped again.

"You're drunk," Yumichika remarked.

"Well, duh!" Buffy said in her best Valley Girl impression. Considering she practically had been a Valley Girl in her youth, it wasn't that difficult to mimic.

"I think it's time we take you home," Yumichika said, taking Buffy by the hand and hauling her to her feet. She stumbled and landed straight into Ikkaku's arms, which made her giggle. "It was nice meeting you, Iba. Thank you for taking care of my sister."

"Right back at ya," Iba said, lifting his bottle at them as they left. Ikkaku tried to lead Buffy out of the building, but she kept stumbling and falling over.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," he grumbled before he grabbed Buffy and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Be careful –hic- you don't want me to –hic- throw up," Buffy said with yet another giggle. Ikkaku sighed and rolled his eyes heavenward.

"I'll keep that in mind," he muttered.

"You know, from this angle your bum's kinda cute," Buffy said.

"Really, I hadn't even thought about it," Ikkaku deadpanned, glaring at Yumichika when he tried to stifle a snicker. "Shut it, Yumi, or I'll deck you."

"Whatever you say, Kakku," Yumichika snorted, covering his mouth with his hand.

"I swear, if I didn't have a girl in my arms, you'd be dead by now," Ikkaku ground out as they got to their cabin. Ikkaku unceremoniously dropped Buffy onto a bed, on which she promptly began to undress.

"What the hell, don't you have any sense of decency?" Ikkaku asked as Buffy stripped down to her undershirt.

"Well, I'm not gonna sleep in my clothes if that's what you were wondering," Buffy replied. Ikkaku just shrugged out of his clothes until he was in his undershirt as well. He was about to head over to his own bed when Buffy grabbed his wrist. "Stay with me, please? At least until I fall asleep. Please?"

Ikkaku sighed and rolled his eyes before climbing into the narrow bed with Buffy, lying on his side with his back to them. He growled when he heard Yumichika chuckle, but calmed down as Buffy settled in next to him.

"If you puke on me, you're a dead woman, I don't care if you're Yumichika's sister," Ikkaku grumbled.

"'Kay," Buffy replied sleepily before a loud snore escaped her. Ikkaku groaned and buried his head under the blanket, trying to drown out the snoring.

***

Okay, so here's Chapter 11. Once I got started on it, I found it really enjoyable to write. While I have no real opinion about Iba-san, as he isn't seen too much in the series, I do happen to like Mayuri, although he's a bit of an asshole and a mad scientist without technically being evil. This will not be the last appearance by either of them, although Mayuri will be featured more in this fic, as well as the next one in this series. Anyway, reviews are loved, constructive criticism is appreciated and flames will be used to toast marshmallows. Ta, all!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The next morning Buffy woke up snuggled into a warm and muscular chest. She breathed deeply, taking in the scent of the skin beneath her. Whoever she was getting all snuggly with, he sure smelled good. She snuggled deeper, throwing an arm across her human pillow's stomach as she sighed in contentment.

It would have been perfect, except for the fact that the human pillow didn't want to be used as a human pillow anymore. Before she could comprehend what was happening, Buffy was rudely awakened by being pitched onto the floor, landing painfully on her bottom.

"What the hell was that for?" Buffy asked, glaring up at the bald-headed man who was still laying in her bed.

"You were getting to comfortable," Ikkaku replied grumpily.

"Grump," Buffy shot at him, getting up and rubbing her sore bottom.

"Lush," Ikkaku shot back.

"Stick in the mud," Buffy retorted, grabbing her clothes from off the floor.

"Lightweight."

"Party pooper."

"Shameless flirt."

"Someone jealous?" Buffy teased, her eyes sparkling.

"No," Ikkaku replied stubbornly.

"I think someone's _jealous_," Buffy said with a teasing smile. "Now why would you be jealous, considering weren't even talking to me? I had to find someone to talk to, and Iba seemed to fit the bill. He's nice, too, and I would have known more about that if _someone_ hadn't carried me off like a jealous caveman. You were, like, one step away from knocking me unconscious and dragging me out by my hair."

"You were drunk, I was helping," Ikkaku replied. "Remember Cavewoman Buffy? Beer bad, tree pretty?"

"Did I look like some heavy browed cavewoman to you?" Buffy asked. "And I wasn't drinking beer, and whatever I was drinking definitely wasn't cursed."

"I was protecting you, then," Ikkaku replied. "Didn't want that creep to try anything on you."

"Sounds like someone's jealous to me," Buffy sing-songed. "Besides, there was no way he was going to try anything. He kept a respectable distance between us the entire night, although he did come to my defense when some guy came over and started talking to us."

"What guy?" Ikkaku asked. "I didn't see a guy."

"Dressed in black, black and white face paint, blue hair?" Buffy asked. Ikkaku shook his head and she stared at him, surprised. To miss someone like that would make them blind. "Well, anyway, he asked if we could talk in private, we chatted, he said stuff that reminded me _way _too much of Professor Walsh, I tried to walk away, he grabbed my arm, I told him to let go before I broke his arm, then proceeded to almost break his arm until he let me go. I handled it, it's over, no big deal."

"Professor Walsh?" Ikkaku muttered under his breath, trying to remember where he had heard the name. Oh right, the name had come up when Buffy had been explaining her past. Then he remembered what part that woman had had in Buffy's life. "Wasn't she the crazy scientist who experimented on demons and stuff?"

"Uh huh," Buffy replied.

"And this guy said something to remind you of her?" Ikkaku asked.

"Are you deaf or something? Because I think I just said that," Buffy replied with a roll of her eyes. Surprisingly, she wasn't hungover and wondered what she had been drinking the previous night.

"He didn't say he wanted to experiment on you, did he?" Ikkaku asked.

"Uh, maybe?" Buffy said.

"I'm gonna go and kick his ass," Ikkaku growled, moving to leave, only to be stopped by Buffy standing in his way. "Get out of my way, Buffy."

"No," Buffy replied. When Ikkaku glared at her, she just crossed her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want me to slam you into the floor again? Because as much as I hate using my superior strength and skill to lay the smack down on humans, I'll do just that if it means you're not out kicking some poor, pathetic person's ass because he said something you didn't like. I handled it, it's dealt with and I doubt I'm ever going to see him again."

"I don't like it," Ikkaku grumbled, glaring at the wall.

"You don't have to, but unless you want me to tie you up and keep you here, you're just going to have to do as I say," Buffy retorted with a nod before a look of horror crossed her face when she realized what, exactly, she had just said. "That so didn't sound that naughty in my head. Ick, ick, ick!"

"So, the thought of tying me up and having your way with me doesn't appeal to you?" Ikkaku asked. "At all?"

"Oh, hell no," Buffy replied, the blush rising in her cheeks.

"I think it does," Ikkaku said, his voice dropping an octave as he took a step closer. Buffy gulped and took a step back. Ikkaku took another step towards her. Buffy took another step back. "I think you want me. I think you've always wanted me, even though the good girls aren't supposed to like the bad boys."

Buffy closed her eyes and shivered, giving Ikkaku a chance to close the distance between them. He paced around her, close enough that Buffy could feel his body heat and smell him, bending low so that he could whisper in her ears.

"I know why you were talking to that guy," Ikkaku whispered in her ear, nipping on her earlobe. Buffy whimpered. "You wanted to make me jealous. You wanted to make me want you. Well, I got one thing to say to you."

He stood behind her and bent so that his lips were right by her ear, so close that his breath tickled the hairs on her neck. Buffy gulped, trying not to shiver at his nearness.

"It's not going to work, girlie," he breathed in her ear, nipping on her neck before moving away from her. Buffy's eyes opened, only to narrow at Ikkaku in annoyance.

"That was evil," Buffy said, her voice a growl.

"If you want to play the game, you're gonna have to learn how to play it properly," Ikkaku replied with a triumphant grin. They stood there on opposite sides of the room, Buffy glaring at Ikkaku and Ikkaku smirking smugly at Buffy when Yumichika came back, his arms full of food.

"You know, I'm not going to be doing this for you two forever," he said, putting the food down on the unused bed before he actually looked at the scene in front of him. "What are you two fighting over now?"

"Nothing," Buffy replied with a shrug, just as Ikkaku said, "She started it."

"I don't want to know," Yumichika said with a grimace. "By the way, our room mate and class assignments are posted. You can go and check them out after you've eaten and dressed."

"Yes, Mom," Buffy said with a roll of her eyes and a good-natured grin.

"What did you call me?" Yumichika asked.

"I called you a Mom," Buffy replied. Yumichika looked confused. "Oh come on, you're so totally acting like one."

"When you're the only mature person surrounded by a couple of children, it's only natural to assume the role as leader," Yumichika said.

"Who are you calling children?" Ikkaku asked, outraged.

"I think he's talking about us, Ikkaku," Buffy replied with a roll of her eyes. "So, did you see who I was bunked with?"

"No, sorry," Yumichika replied. "But Ikkaku and I are roommates. Just like old times, right Ikkaku?"

"What, you mean before this crazy chick dropped into our lives?" Ikkaku asked. "Yep, it'll be just like the good old days, just you and me."

"Well, not exactly like the good old days," Yumichika said. "We've got a couple of room mates, too. Some guys named Ichimaru and Iba."

"Well, as long as it's just us guys," Ikkaku said with a smirk.

"Nice to know I'm so loved," Buffy said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"You're loved," Ikkaku replied. "Just not by me."

"Meanie," Buffy said with a pout.

"Hey, I've never been accused of being nice," Ikkaku replied with a shrug. Buffy's pout deepened as she grabbed a bun before moving to gather her clothes, which had been dropped when Ikkaku had staged his little scene. With a huff, she stalked across the room and hid behind the privacy screen to get dressed, eating her bun as she did so.

Emerging several minutes later, fully dressed and her hair pulled back from her face, Buffy grabbed her socks and shoes from off the floor, sitting on a bed to put them on.

"Where are you going?" Yumichika asked.

"I think I'm going to go for a walk," Buffy replied. "I'll see you guys later."

Buffy left the cabin then, not quite sure where she was headed but not really caring so much. She'd make it back eventually, and a little time away from Ikkaku would do her some good.

Walking down the lane, Buffy spotted a rather large group of people gathered around the same message board where the exam results had been posted the day before. Wondering what was going on, she made her way to the crowd, nudging her way through to see what was going on. A sign, reading "Dormitory and Class Assignments" was tacked across the top of the board, and many sheets of paper were tacked underneath with everyone's class and room assignments.

"Buffy!"

Buffy sighed, turning to see who had called her name although there was little doubt who it could be. Rangiku fought her way through the short distance that separated them, and she soon was standing next to Buffy.

"Do you know what class you're in or who your roommate is?" she asked, searching the pieces of paper pinned to the board.

"Nope, I was just trying to find out," Buffy replied, going back to searching. "How about I take the room mate list and you take the class list? It'll probably be faster that way."

"Good idea," Rangiku agreed, and they set about looking for each other's names on the lists. It didn't take Buffy long to find either name because they were in the exact same place; she and Rangiku were room mates.

"You're in first class, I'm in second class with a chance to move up to first class," Rangiku replied with a shrug once she was finished searching the lists. "Who's your room mate?"

"You are," Buffy replied.

"Get out! There has to be some kind of mistake," Rangiku exclaimed, surprised. She went over to check the list.

"Am I really that bad?" Buffy asked, crossing her arms.

"No, I was just thinking that it would be way too good to be true if you ended up my room mate," Rangiku replied. She found her name and squealed happily when she saw Buffy's name next to hers.

"And why would that be too good to be true?" Buffy asked, curious.

"Well, you're cool," Rangiku replied. "Way cooler than any of the other girls I've talked to."

"You do remember that you laughed at me, right?" Buffy said, arching an eyebrow.

"When did I do that?" Rangiku asked.

"Before the entrance exam, I couldn't see the guy and was straining to see over other people's heads and you laughed at me," Buffy replied. "And you said you didn't think I looked like much of a fighter."

"But you don't," Rangiku replied. Buffy narrowed her eyes. "But you know what, it's a good thing. You'll be able to surprise attack people because they'll expect a woman who can't defend herself and they'll get a girl who can totally kick butt!"

"I suppose," Buffy replied. It had worked with vampires, but then again vampires weren't the smartest creatures on the planet.

"Do you want to go and see what our room is like?" Rangiku asked.

"Sure," Buffy replied. "I just want to go pop my head in and tell my brother where I've gone. Really don't want him worrying and sending Ikkaku to go and find me. That could lead to badness."

"I'll come with you," Rangiku said, looping her arm with Buffy's.

Smiling slightly, Buffy led Rangiku down the lane to the cabin she had shared with Yumichika and Ikkaku. It was a quiet walk to the cabin, and it wasn't long before she reached it.

"Hope you guys are decent, I'm bringing someone in with me," Buffy said as she poked her head inside, covering her eyes with her hand. She peeked through her fingers and, seeing that both boys were fully dressed, removed her hand and entered, dragging Rangiku in with her.

"What's up?" Yumichika asked when he saw Buffy. "And who's your friend?"

"Nothing much," Buffy replied. "Just getting to know my room mate. Guys, this is Rangiku, Rangiku, these are the guys. I know I pointed them out to you earlier, but the bald guy is Ikkaku and the nice-looking guy is my brother, Yumichika."

"I'm not bald, I'm shaven," Ikkaku replied testily.

"Sure you are," Buffy replied soothingly. "I'm going to go and check out our room and stuff. I probably won't be back tonight. Just letting you know so that you won't get worried or anything."

"That's fine," Yumichika said with a smile. Ikkaku was glaring at the wall, determined not to make eye contact. "What class did you get into?"

"First class," Buffy replied. "You?"

"First class as well," Yumichika said. "Ikkaku too."

"Well, I'm feeling totally left out," Rangiku said with a pout. "I'm in second class."

"But with the opportunity to advance to the first class," Buffy reminded her. Rangiku shrugged.

"Anyway, that's all I really needed to tell you guys. I'll see you later, 'kay?"

"Have fun, Buffy," Yumichika said, waving. Ikkaku grunted and Buffy rolled his eyes.

"Grump," Buffy shot at Ikkaku before turning and leaving, her arm linked with Rangiku's.

"Is he always that grouchy?" Rangiku asked.

"Only when it comes to me," Buffy replied. "I seem to bring it out of him. It's weird."

"Well, you don't have to deal with him and his downer attitude today," Rangiku said brightly. "So, did anything happen between you and that guy last night?"

"Who, Iba?" Buffy asked. Rangiku nodded. "No, and I don't think anything will. He was nice and all, tried to come to my rescue when some guy wanted to talk to me, but other than that I think we'd probably be friends if anything."

"Well, I suppose that's all right," Rangiku replied. "What happened with the creepy guy?"

"He was just... creepy," Buffy replied with a shiver. "I don't want to talk about it, though."

"Fair enough," Rangiku said sympathetically. "Come on, let's go and see what our dorm is like. Can't be any worse than where I came from. How about you?"

"District 78, so yeah, it'll definitely be better than where I came from," Buffy said.

"I came from 77, so I know how you feel," Rangiku replied with a grin. "We're on to a bigger and better life here at the Academy."

"It definitely looks that way," Buffy agreed.

"Did you get the name of the residence hall we got put in?" Rangiku asked.

"Yeah," Buffy replied, telling her the name of the residence hall.

"Now all we have to do is find where the residence halls are," Rangiku said, looking around. Her gaze settled on a young boy with silver hair standing alone. She raised her hand and waved at him, and he waved back. "Hey look, it's Gin! Let's go say hi. Hey, GIN!!"

She practically dragged Buffy over to the teenaged boy standing a short distance away. He was taller than Buffy, but shorter than Rangiku. He tilted his head curiously at Buffy, as if trying to figure her out, smiling all the while. It was beginning to creep Buffy out a bit. And those eyes… he kept them practically closed. What was up with that?

"Gin, this is Buffy Ayasegawa, my room mate," Rangiku introduced her. Buffy waved, as did Gin. "Buffy, this is Gin Ichimaru, my best friend."

"Nice to meet ya," Gin said.

"Likewise," Buffy replied, smiling at him.

"So, where are you headed?" Rangiku asked.

"Accepted into the first class, of course," Gin replied. "What about you, Rangiku?"

"Second class," Rangiku said, rather glumly. "I swear, I'm gonna be the only person in the second class at this rate.

"But you have an option to advance to the first class," Buffy reminded her. "Hard work will get you to up there."

"But I don't wanna work," Rangiku said with a pout.

"I'll help you out," Buffy reassured her, erasing Rangiku's pout and replacing it with a smile.

"What about you, Buffy?" Gin asked. "What class are you in?"

"First class as well," Buffy replied. "Should be interesting, my brother and his friend are in the first class with us."

"Good for you," Gin said. "Anyway, I gotta go find my room and hopefully meet my room mates. Some guys named Ayasegawa, Madarame and Iba. Hey, do you know the Ayasegawa guy?"

"Yeah, he's my brother," Buffy replied. "He's a decent guy, pretty easy to get along with. It's Madarame you need to worry about… he can be a bit of a jerk."

"I'll keep that in mind," Gin said gratefully, that creepy smile a constant on his face. "Anyway, I gotta go. I'll catch ya two later!"

With that, Gin turned and left Buffy and Rangiku where they were.

"Well, that was interesting," Buffy said diplomatically.

"I know he's a little strange, but he's a good person," Rangiku said defensively. "He saved my life."

"Yumichika saved mine," Buffy offered. "It was after Ikkaku nearly killed me and left me for dead, but that's another matter entirely."

"Ikkaku tried to kill you?" Rangiku asked, alarmed. "And you let him come near you?"

"I challenged him to a fight, he beat me," Buffy replied with a shrug. "It wasn't like he came after me with a knife in a dark alley or anything. And he hasn't tried to hurt me since."

"I think you're nuts," Rangiku said warily.

"And you're totally free to think that," Buffy replied with a shrug. "I've never been accused of being sane."

"I still think you're nuts," Rangiku said.

"And some days I'll readily agree with you," Buffy replied. "Hey, I wonder why there's only two people in our room, but the guys have four?"

"Probably because there's fewer girls than guys at the academy," Rangiku replied. "It looked like they outnumbered us two to one. But hey, it just means more guys to ogle!"

"You're completely boy crazy, aren't you?" Buffy asked.

"Is that a bad thing?" Rangiku retorted.

"Nope, and I gotta admit, there's some very nice hunks of man candy around here," Buffy agreed. "But first, we should probably go and check our room before anything else."

They started walking again, finding their building in no time, and their room on the top floor of the rooming house shortly after that. It was a Spartan room, with two of everything. Two beds, two lamps, two dressers, two closets. There was a door on one wall, and Buffy went to investigate.

"Hey Rangiku, we've got our own bathroom!" she said excitedly.

"And hey, we've got presents on our beds, too," Rangiku remarked. Buffy ran from the bathroom and crashed onto her bed, grabbing the package on her bed. She eagerly unwrapped it, and was immediately disappointed.

"Books?" Buffy asked with a pout.

"And more uniforms," Rangiku said helpfully. "And our class schedule, too."

"Well, I suppose it's better than nothing," Buffy said with a sigh. "Say, do you have any plans this afternoon?"

"I was just planning on exploring," Rangiku replied with a shrug. "You?"

"Well, I was going to go and explore too, but it looks like we've got a bit of reading to get through," Buffy said. "I think I'm going to stay in for now."

"I suppose that's the smart thing to do," Rangiku said with a sigh.

"It'll get you in the first class faster," Buffy said. With another sigh, Rangiku flopped down on her bed and opened one of her new books. Settling in, Buffy grabbed one of her new books and mirrored Rangiku's position, reading for the rest of the afternoon.

***

The next morning, Buffy woke in an odd position, the book still open on her stomach. Yawning, she checked the clock on the wall, her eyes widening when she saw what time it was. It was their first day of classes and she was already running late.

"Rangiku, get up!" Buffy exclaimed, jumping out of bed to go and shake Rangiku awake. "We're running late, it's time to go!"

"Huh… wha?" Rangiku said, startled as she wiped a trail of drool from her chin. "What's going on?"

"We're gonna be late for class, we gotta go!" Buffy exclaimed.

"Please tell me you're joking," Rangiku said as she leapt out of bed and grabbed her books.

"Wish I were," Buffy replied, rushing to the bathroom to check her reflection in the mirror. She straightened her clothes, thankful she had worn her uniform the previous day and would therefore be set for class.

"How much time do we have?" Rangiku asked, sounding worried.

"Fifteen minutes," Buffy replied, coming out of the bathroom and gathering her books. "I think I saw some signs yesterday to direct us to our classes, so it shouldn't be too hard to find."

"Good to hear," Rangiku agreed. "Come on, let's get out of here. I don't want to be late on my first day."

"Neither do I," Buffy replied, making sure she had all of her books. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Rangiku said with a deep breath.

They walked quickly out of their dormitory building, stopping briefly to make sure the signs were still up before they broke into a dead run, following the directions presented to them. They made it with only a few minutes to spare. Thankfully, their classrooms were right next to each other.

"See you later," Rangiku said as she slipped into her own classroom. "Good luck."

"Same to you," Buffy replied, slipping into her classroom just in the nick of time. There were no chairs or desks, just an open room with plenty of room to move around. She spotted Yumichika when she saw the light bouncing off of Ikkaku's head. Smiling slightly, she elbowed her way through the crowd and stood next to Yumichika, startling him slightly.

"I thought you weren't going to make it," he whispered through the corner of his mouth.

"I overslept," Buffy hissed back as the teacher stood in the front of the class. At least, Buffy assumed the teacher was standing at the front of the class, because everyone was turned in one direction. Buffy stood on her tip toes in an attempt to see over the heads of everyone in front of her.

"Want to get on my back?" Yumichika asked.

"No, I'm okay," Buffy replied, craning her neck.

"Good morning everyone," Chiba said. He had a deep, rumbling voice, and Buffy surmised he was a large man. "I see we have some new students in the class. Good, good, maybe we'll have some even numbers finally. For those of you who are new, this is your combat class. I am Kazuma Chiba, your instructor. You will be learning all kinds of bare handed and weapons combat in this class. You will be assigned a partner. This will be your partner until the end of the year, so you'd better learn to get along. You, the silver-haired kid, you pair up with the new guy with the long dark hair. Bald guy, you pair up with the guy with the flat top. Where's the tiny girl I was told was gonna be here?"

"Um, over here," Buffy replied, raising her hand and jumping a little to make sure she was seen.

"Should have taken me up on my offer to hop onto my back," Yumichika teased with a smirk.

"Shut up," Buffy retorted.

"Ah, there she is," Chiba said. "Ayasegawa, is it? Get up here, your partner's over here."

Buffy elbowed her way through the crowd to get to the front. Chiba looked her up and down before his face broke into an amused grin.

"When they said you were tiny, they weren't kidding," he said with a laugh. "Come on over and meet your partner. Byakuya-sama, meet your new partner."

The boy appeared younger than her. He had long, black hair pulled back from his face in a ponytail. He was taller than her, but then again everyone seemed to be taller than her, and slim. His shirt was sleeveless, showing off a pair of skinny, pale arms. The thing that really drew her gaze were his eyes; they were a curious shade of grey-violet, and large.

"A girl?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "You're pairing me with a girl?"

"You either duel Ayasegawa, or you sit out and she duels me," Chiba replied with a shrug. "And I really don't want to tell your grandfather you refused to participate."

"Fine," Byakuya said with a sigh. "Let's get this over with."

"Sounds like a great idea," Buffy replied.

"Excellent, it's settled," Chiba said with a grin before grabbing two wooden swords and tossing them at Byakuya and Buffy. "You two can go first."

"Don't expect me to go easy on you because you're a girl," he said, getting into position.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you because you're a snot-nosed brat," Buffy retorted. Byakuya's eyes narrowed before he launched a ferocious head-on attack.

It was a fast, furious and relatively short battle. Byakuya attacked with anger and frustration, Buffy blocked with cool calculation without actively fighting back until she felt that the fight had gone on long enough. Finding an opening when Byakuya raised his arms to strike her down, Buffy's leg shot out and kicked him in the stomach, sending him crashing into the wall.

"I think we can see who won here," Chiba said with an impressed smile. "Good work, Ayasegawa. You and Byakuya can go and join your classmates."

Buffy smiled brightly and Byakuya scowled as he sulked and she skipped back into the crowd. Buzzed from her win, she watched the rest of the class fight, not really paying attention until it was time for Ikkaku's fight. He and Iba came to the front of the class; Ikkaku was snarling and Iba was looking at him in trepidation.

"What'd Iba do to Ikkaku?" Buffy whispered to Yumichika. "He looks about ready to kill."

"Not kill, but seriously maim is a possibility," Yumichika replied with a grim look. "Your friend Iba mentioned meeting someone at the party last night and said that he rather enjoyed her company and would like to do that again. He didn't mention any names until Ikkaku asked, at which time he said it was you. Ikkaku started snarling before turning and leaving the dorm. Obviously, his night time stroll didn't calm him down a bit."

"Jealous butthead," Buffy muttered under her breath, a pleased smile crossing her lips.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Yumichika asked. "You're not going to rub it in his face, are you?"

"And have him get all pouty because I'm making fun of him?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow before grinning slightly evilly. "Maybe I'll do a little teasing, but nothing too strenuous. I'd rather have him talking to me than not."

Ikkaku and Iba faced off, wooden swords at the ready. It looked like they were sizing each other up, holding completely still. Buffy was sure that the fight wouldn't happen, until Ikkaku finally sprang into action, attacking Iba head on.

She wasn't able to say anything else because at that moment the fight was on. Buffy hadn't seen Ikkaku fight someone on his own level before; the first time she had seen him fight was the tail end of one, where his opponent was about to get gutted. The second match, Ikkaku had been sorely outmatched and was nearly killed. All of the other times he had fought, he had scuffled with her, and it was rather difficult for her to see his style when she was in the thick of it with him.

They fought for what seemed like ages, their attacks and counter attacks forming an intricate and deadly dance. It was mesmerizing to watch.

"Was that what me and Ikkaku looked like when we fight?" Buffy asked, unable to take her eyes off the pair in front of them.

"Yours fights are prettier, somehow," Yumichika replied. "You moved so fluidly together, it was like you two could match each other's movements without thinking. It was like you two were made for each other. I hadn't seen anything like it before, and I doubt I'll ever see the exact same thing again."

"Ah," Buffy replied, not really sure how to make of what she had just been told. It was strange, having someone tell her that Ikkaku, the same Ikkaku that made fun of her, the same Ikkaku that provoked her to violence, the same Ikkaku that pushed all of her buttons, was made for her.

Yumichika had to be completely and utterly insane.

"What's wrong, Buffy?" Yumichika asked, curious.

"Nothing, nothing," Buffy replied, still transfixed on the duel in front of her. Iba wasn't actively going on the offence unless he had to, allowing Ikkaku to lead the attacks. It wasn't until a gong sounded in the distance that they stopped fighting, sweating and breathing hard.

"That's time, people," Chiba said. "Good work. I've seen a lot of improvement in the older students. The new ones, you need some work but with some training you'll catch up in no time. See you in a couple of days."

The class dispersed then, making a mad dash for the door. Buffy kept getting pushed further to the back of the crowd until she was straggling behind everyone. She wanted to catch up to Yumichika, wanting to know how he was holding up rooming with Ikkaku and Iba, when she heard someone calling her name.

"Ayasegawa!"

Buffy turned, recognizing the voice but wondering why he was calling her name. As she expected, she saw Byakuya standing behind her.

"What can I do for you?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Wait a moment," Byakuya said. He waited until the rest of the class and Chiba had left before he spoke again. "I need your help."

"Pardon?" Buffy asked, a little surprised.

"Don't make me ask again," Byakuya said sullenly. "I want you to teach me how to fight."

"Why me?" Buffy asked.

"You're good," Byakuya replied.

"There's people way better than I am," Buffy replied.

"Yeah, but you don't look like you're going to kick my ass because I'm asking for help," Byakuya shot back. "You're not going to kick my ass, are you?"

"No," Buffy replied, a small smile on her face. "But first, I need your name. I'm Buffy Ayasegawa, but you can call me Buffy."

"Byakuya Kuchiki, future head of the Kuchiki noble family," Byakuya introduced himself, bowing. "When we're alone, you can call me Byakuya."

"What do I call you when we're not alone?" Buffy asked.

"Byakuya-sama, of course," Byakuya replied as if it were common knowledge. "It's only fitting that someone like you would give someone like me the respect due."

"Uh… huh," Buffy said slowly. "What do I get out of our little arrangement?"

"The pride that you taught the future head of the Kuchiki clan how to fight," Byakuya replied haughtily.

"Wow, a little full of yourself, huh?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. She couldn't believe this kid's attitude. "I'm out of here, you can find yourself another tutor."

Buffy turned and tried to leave, only to be stopped by Byakuya grabbing onto her arm. What was with guys around here manhandling her? Did she have a sign on her back that read, 'please touch me'? Sighing, she turned to see what he wanted now, and was surprised to see a pleading expression on his face.

"Please," he said, his voice a quiet plea. "I need your help. There has to be something I can help you with in return. I'm really good at kido and flash steps, I can help you with that. Even trade."

"Are you going to treat me as an equal?" Buffy asked.

"I'll try," Byakuya replied.

"I guess that's all I can ask for," Buffy said. "When do you want to do this?"

"Meet me in the courtyard after classes and we can go to my manor to practice," Byakuya replied. "There's a lot of room to move around there."

"Sounds like a plan," Buffy said. "See you then."

"I'm looking forward to it," Byakuya returned, a slight smile on his lips. Buffy grinned back before turning and walking quickly out of the classroom, hoping to catch up to Yumichika before he got too far ahead of her.

She had a feeling this was going to be an interesting year.

***

Here we go, an extra long chapter for you all. ^_^. I was feeling rather inspired to write this chapter and words just came out. It kind of helps that I'm working on the sequel for this for my NaNoWriMo project this year. Almost halfway to the goal word count, woohoo!

Anyway, please review, I'd really appreciate it ^_^.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Buffy exited the classroom quickly, hoping that she would be able to spot the rest of the first class, wondering if they all had the same schedule. She supposed she could have just asked Byakuya, but spending too much time with him might make her want to smack him. That haughty attitude was something she was determined to change.

"Hey, Buffy!"

_I know that voice, _Buffy thought as she turned, a smile spreading across her face when she saw Iba waving at her.

"Hi," Buffy greeted as Iba jogged to close the short distance between them.

"What did that Kuchiki kid want?" he asked, curious.

"Umm," Buffy began, not really wanting to tell the truth, but not wanting to lie to him so early in their friendship. She decided that saving a poor teenager's ego was for the greater good. "He just said that he had been going easy on me 'cause it was my first fight and I'm a girl, and that I should be ready for a real contest next time."

"I find that hard to believe," Iba replied with a snort. "But since you're willing to lie to protect the kid's ego, I'll let it go. This time."

"Are you saying I'm a bad liar?" Buffy asked in mock outrage.

"No, I'm saying I think it's highly unlikely that some kid could beat you," Iba replied with a shrug. "So, what class do you have next?"

"Let me check," Buffy replied, reaching into the folds of her shirt to where she had stashed her class schedule. "Kido training. You?"

"Same," Iba replied. He offered his arm to her. "May I escort you?"

"Such a gentleman," Buffy said with a giggle as she slipped her hand into the crook of Iba's arm. They began walking down the corridor towards the doors leading outside, Buffy more than willing to let Iba take the lead because he looked like he knew where he was going. "Do you even know where the Kido training is?"

"Yeah, it's in a field out back," Iba replied. "After I got settled in last night I went exploring a bit. I did _not_ want to be around when that Madarame guy came back. How do you put up with him?"

"He grows on you. Kinda like a fungus," Buffy joked. Iba snorted in such a way that it could be interpreted as a laugh. "But seriously, I'm pretty sure that the only reason why I haven't completely pummelled him is because Yumichika would be kinda upset with me if I did. Which is probably why Ikkaku hasn't pummelled me, either."

"You're rather quite fond of your brother, aren't you?" Iba asked as they crossed the gate into the enclosed field that housed the Kido training grounds.

"Well yeah," Buffy replied. "He saved my life. We may not be related by blood, but sometimes your chosen family is your closest family, you know?"

"Makes sense," Iba replied gruffly as he extracted Buffy's hand from his arm. She looked at him curiously, but saw that he wasn't looking at her at all. She followed his gaze, and wasn't particularly surprised when she saw Ikkaku glaring at them. If looks could kill, they'd both probably be worm food right then. Buffy narrowed her eyes at him before slipping her hand in Iba's and leading him away from Ikkaku and Yumichika. The bald man was all but vibrating in rage and Yumichika just smiled at them, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, woman?" Iba hissed as she dragged them across the field, as far away from Ikkaku as they could get. "You do know I have to share a room with that guy, right? I don't want him killing me in my sleep because I touched his girlfriend!"

"Okay, first of all, I'm not Ikkaku's girlfriend," Buffy said seriously. "It's none of his damn business who I choose, or don't choose, to spend my time with. Second, he'd never be that sneaky. If he's going to kill you, you'll know about it well beforehand. He did that with me, did that with the guy before me, and will most definitely do that for anyone in the future."

"That's just so much more comforting," Iba said sarcastically. Buffy was pretty sure he was rolling his eyes, but couldn't see them because they were hidden by a pair of sunglasses. "If you're just using me to make him jealous, you'd better tell me now so I can get out of this with as much of my dignity intact as possible."

"Okay, that's so not how I operate," Buffy replied, a little annoyed that someone would think like that about her. "I'm expanding my social circle and if Ikkaku doesn't like that, tough noogies. He's not the boss of me. The only person I'd be worried about his opinion is Yumichika, and he seems fine with it."

"And if he wasn't?" Iba asked, curious.

"I'd take his advice under advisement and would probably still hang around you anyway," Buffy replied with a shrug. "I might value his opinion much more than Ikkaku's, but he's not the boss of me, either. Bottom line is, you're fun and I like having you around, and I like to think I'm a decent judge of character."

"You hang around Madarame, though," Iba pointed out.

"I said I was a decent judge of character," Buffy replied. "I didn't say I was perfect or anything."

Iba chuckled, but couldn't say much more because at that moment the instructor approached a raised platform and stood on it so that everyone could see her.

The woman was tiny, barely taller than Buffy, with a delicate figure hidden underneath the standard black Shinigami uniform. She had long dark hair pulled back from her face in a low ponytail and long bangs coming down to frame her face. She smiled softly at her students as they assembled around the platform.

"I can't believe we're being taught by a woman," grumbled someone behind Buffy. The woman's manner changed as her eyes narrowed and she pointed at the naysayer.

"Bakudo number sixty-three, Sajo Sabaku," she said calmly, a chain snaking from her finger before winding itself around the man behind Buffy. She stepped off the platform and walked, her manner serene, to the man who was now bound. "You should be glad I'm in a good mood today, for if I wasn't I might have done much more damage."

She smiled softly and turned before heading back to the platform, standing on it once more so that everyone could see her before addressing the student body as a whole.

"And that is why you should never, ever, annoy a temperamental Kido master," she said, her voice amused. "To those of you who are new, my name is Ayame Morisue, and I will be teaching you Kido, one of the four main combat methods the average Shinigami has in his or her repertoire. I dearly hope that all of those who have been in my class before have been practicing, and that our newcomers will become proficient soon enough. Now, because this is the first class of the new term, I would like to review and demonstrate the three main types of Kido and their uses. Senior students, please come forward as you will be the ones doing the demonstrating. Can't let you get rusty, now can I?"

She laughed a little as the senior students came forward to do the demonstration. She launched into the lecture, going over offensive, or Hado spells, and defensive or non-offensive spells, or Bakkudo. There was also healing Kido, like the type Captain Unohana had used on Buffy after the entrance exam, but that was more releasing healing energy than an actual spell. After explaining a particular spell, she would get one of the senior students to demonstrate, giving the junior students a taste of what the spells were supposed to look like. Once the spells got too difficult for the students to perform easily, the instructor stepped in and began demonstrating.

All in all, it was an interesting introductory class. If she wasn't so terrified of blowing herself up, Buffy thought she might actually enjoy Kido once she got a chance to practice it.

"Something the matter?" Iba asked. Buffy glanced at him, wondering if her trepidation had shown on her face. Probably, if he was asking her about it. She had no illusions; she knew most men weren't as intuitive as Yumichika.

"I just have this strange feeling that I'm going to end up blowing myself up," Buffy replied as she turned and started heading out with the rest of the group. "I'm just way better with the whole physical fighting thing. Magic and Buffy are non-mixy things."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Iba said, obviously trying to sound reassuring, patting her on the shoulder. They had just reached the gate leading to the enclosed field when Buffy felt someone grab her arm, pulling her away from Iba. Immediately, she started thrashing, hitting any part of her "kidnapper" that she could reach.

"Buffy, Buffy, calm down!"

She stopped thrashing when she heard Ikkaku's voice. He settled her down by placing his hands on his shoulders and she narrowed her eyes at him, not particularly happy that he had decided to go the sneaky route instead of confronting her head on.

"Buffy, is everything okay?" Iba asked, rushing over, his voice concerned.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Ikkaku's just being a butthead. I'll meet up with you later, kay?" Buffy replied, smiling reassuringly at Iba. He looked sceptical, looking from Buffy to Ikkaku to Buffy again before turning and leaving, although Buffy had a feeling that he wouldn't go far just in case she got into some trouble. She turned to Ikkaku, the reassuring smile wiped from her face, replaced with a narrow eyed glare. "What do you want?"

"What are you doing with that guy?" he asked seriously. "You don't even know him!"

"And you do?" Buffy retorted, arching an eyebrow. "Hate to say it, but who I do and do not spend my time with is really none of your business."

"I think it is," Ikkaku replied. "And what did that kid want at the end of last class?"

"Why do you think this is your business?" Buffy asked.

"Have you seen how people look at you?" Ikkaku asked.

"No, have you?" Buffy retorted.

"Stop answering my questions with more questions!" Ikkaku exclaimed in frustration, rubbing a hand over his bald head. "Yeah, I have seen the kind of attention you've been getting. I just don't want someone to hurt you or anything like that."

"You know, it's kind of strange," Buffy said thoughtfully.

"What's strange?" Ikkaku asked.

"The fact that you're noticing any of this at all," Buffy replied, holding her chin and tapping her nose with her index finger thoughtfully. "I mean, considering you're not even supposed to like me that much, you're sure noticing how other people react to me. It's almost like you're worried. Or jealous."

"Don't flatter yourself, girlie," Ikkaku grumbled. "I just don't want to be the one to pick up the pieces when some shmuck breaks your heart."

"Like you would," Buffy retorted, crossing her arms and glaring up at him. Some days she hated being so short, and today was one of those days. "Yumichika would be the one making sure I'd be okay. Rangiku, too. She seems to like me."

"Yeah well, I wanna save Yumichika the trouble," Ikkaku said with a shrug.

Buffy made a frustrated sound before turning and stalking off, no more words exchanged between the two of them. She wasn't sure if Ikkaku was planning on following her, but she also didn't care much. One more glare from her and she was pretty sure he'd back off. If not, a black eye definitely would do the trick.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Iba asked, joining Buffy once she was a safe distance from Ikkaku.

"Yeah, I'm going to be fine," Buffy replied. "You might have to watch your back, though. Sorry about that."

"I can take him. If I have to, I can hide behind you and let you handle him," Iba replied impishly, causing Buffy to stick her tongue out at him. "What happened? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"He's just being Ikkaku," Buffy replied. "Overprotective while still being a raging jerk. I don't wanna talk about it."

"Fair enough," Iba said. "Let's compare schedules to see if we have any other classes together, then."

"Good idea," Buffy replied, handing her schedule over so that he could look it over. She could have sworn that a ghost of a smile crossed his face as he handed her schedule back to her.

"Looks like we've got the same classes," Iba replied. "Which means that we're done for the day."

"Really?" Buffy asked, checking her schedule over. Sure enough, that day they only had a half day of classes. It was the only one, though, as the other four days of the school week were completely booked. "Do you think the rest of the first class would have the same schedule?"

"Probably," Iba replied. "Why?"

"Because I have an appointment to keep," Buffy replied. "I'll see you around, kay?"

"Yeah, we should hang out after class sometime," Iba replied. "That is, if Ikkaku doesn't kill me."

"He won't," Buffy replied. "At least, I'm pretty sure he won't."

"That's so comforting," Iba retorted sarcastically.

"What? He knows I'll totally kick his ass if he kills my new friends," Buffy replied. "Anyway, I gotta go head to the courtyard. See you later!"

"See ya," Iba said as Buffy turned and ran off.

Buffy slowed to a jog about halfway to the school, hoping that she could find the courtyard with little trouble and wouldn't be late to meeting Byakuya. Somehow, she knew that annoying him would just make her day worse, even if she could easily smack him upside the head if he got too cranky with her.

"Ayasegawa!"

Buffy turned at the sound of her name for the second time that day, marvelling how easy it was for her to answer to Ayasegawa when Summers had been her last name for the past twenty years. She wondered, if she ever got to go back to Sunnydale, if she would keep her new name or revert to her old one. It wasn't something she could dwell on, though, because living in dreams would mean that she would miss the reality around her.

Seeing Byakuya jogging towards her, Buffy started walking towards him to meet him halfway. His expression was neutral, serious even, and Buffy wondered if this kid ever smiled. _Probably not,_ Buffy thought as they met in the middle of the field.

"You haven't forgotten about our deal, have you?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I may be blonde, but I'm not stupid," Buffy replied with a snort. "And I might have been smacked around the head a bit, but I doubt it's messed with my short term memory too much."

"I'll take that as a yes," Byakuya said, the corner of his mouth lifting just a little.

"So, where to?" Buffy asked as they started walking out of the field. Buffy was pretty sure they were being followed, but left it alone for now. She'd just have to yell at whoever was following them later, and she was quite certain as to who was following them.

"My manor," Byakuya replied, taking a slight lead because he was the person who knew where they were going. "Well, my family's manor. It's not mine yet, but it will be someday when I become the head of the Kuchiki clan."

"And where is that?" Buffy prompted.

"Near enough to the school that you'll still have the energy to train after walking there," Byakuya replied.

"Wow, vague much?" Buffy asked with a roll of her eyes.

"You'll see where we're going soon enough, I don't know why I need to tell you specifics now," Byakuya grumbled.

"I think you should tell her where you're going," said a voice from behind them. "At least so I know where you're going."

Buffy closed her eyes and counted to ten in her head, rather proud of her restraint, before turning around. She narrowed her eyes, yet again, at Ikkaku, who was standing about six feet away from herself and Byakuya. His arms were crossed over his chest and his expression was the type that would make a wimpy kid pee his pants in fear. Buffy was almost certain that Byakuya was going to do just that, until he stepped forward, puffing his skinny teenaged chest out in an attempt to make himself seem bigger, bulkier.

"Leave her alone," he said, trying to sound tough. "She can spend time with whoever she wants to."

"And what are you gonna do?" Ikkaku asked, arching an eyebrow. "Beat me up? Or are you gonna hide behind a girl?"

"I-I just might," Byakuya replied. "Beat you, I mean."

"I swear, all of the men I know suffer from testosterone poisoning," Buffy grumbled before she stepped in between the two posturing males. "Look, Ikkaku, I'm going to make friends, male friends, besides you and Yumichika, and you're just gonna have to live with it. I'm gonna go with Byakuya right now. If you don't like it, too damn bad. You are not the boss of me and I'm getting sick of your male posturing bullcrap. C'mon Byakuya, let's get out of here."

She turned and stalked off, Byakuya hurrying to catch up. When he finally did, he looked at Buffy in concern.

"I would have been able to take him, you know," he said quietly.

"No you couldn't, and there was no way in hell I was going to let Ikkaku wipe the floor with your face," Buffy retorted with a snort. "Besides, I don't need you fighting my battles for me. I can handle myself."

"You're obviously upset," Byakuya said uncertainly. "Maybe we should start this training some other day."

"You need to learn how to fight and I need some stress relief," Buffy replied. "I can't think of a better way than getting into a fight. Since I'm liable to kill Ikkaku if I got into it with him, you're my next choice. I promise I won't hurt you… much."

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to regret asking you to teach me how to fight?" Byakuya grumbled under his breath as he led the way to the family manor.

Buffy just laughed.

***

"Again."

Byakuya was breathing hard, his sword held out in front of him in an offensive position. He had bumps, bruises and cuts all over his body, and his eyes flashed in anger and frustration. Buffy stood in front of him, smirking smugly with not a single mark on her.

Not a single mark!

"I thought I asked you to teach me how to fight," Byakuya growled at her. He was about to launch another offensive attack when a voice stopped him.

"I think she's doing a pretty good job there, Byakuya-kun."

"Not now," Byakuya grumbled under his breath as his gaze focused on the roof. Standing there, dressed in a Shinigami uniform with a captain's haori draped over her shoulders was a dark-skinned woman with chin length violet hair. She smirked down at them for a few moments before jumping and flipping, landing gracefully on her feet.

"What do you want, were-cat?" Byakuya asked, his eyes narrowed.

"If you needed help with fighting, you could have asked me, Byakuya-kun. Although your choice of tutor seems to be doing fine on her own," the woman said, amused. "I'm Yoruichi Shihoin. My family and the Kuchiki family have been close for centuries. And you are?"

"She's also a captain and you will address Captain Shihoin as such," Byakuya said, narrowing his eyes at Buffy. "If you insist on being informal at all, she is to be addressed as Yoruichi-sama."

"I don't think I was talking to you, Byakuya-kun," Yoruichi said, ruffling his hair. Byakuya grumbled and batted her hand away. "So, do you have a name, or am I just going to have to call you Byakuya's tutor?"

"Buffy Ayasegawa," Buffy introduced herself. She stuck out her hand, wanting to make a good impression. "It's nice to meet you, Yoruichi-sama."

"Yoruichi's fine Ayasegawa-san," Yoruichi replied with a laugh. "Or do you prefer Buffy?"

"Whatever you're comfortable calling me is fine," Buffy said.

"Buffy it is, then," Yoruichi said with a smile.

"Do you two mind?" Byakuya asked impatiently. He was standing there with his arms crossed his chest, his eyebrow arched and tapping his foot impatiently. It reminded Buffy so much of Dawn that she felt a pang in her chest. "I thought I asked you to help me fight, not chit-chat with the were-cat."

"Well, I'll leave you alone, then," Yoruichi said before she disappeared from Buffy's side. She reappeared behind Byakuya and grabbed a hold of the ribbon that held his hair back. "If you can catch me first!"

She disappeared again and reappeared on the roof, ribbon dangling from her fingers and an amused sparkle in her yellow eyes. Byakuya growled in frustration and disappeared, giving chase. Buffy watched as he chased Yoruichi around the grounds for several moments, trying to track them as much as she could. It was difficult, because they were using flash steps, but by the time someone else had come into the courtyard, she had gotten reasonably good at it.

"I think your training session is over for today," said a grave voice from next to her. She looked up to see a grey haired man with a bushy grey moustache. He was dressed in Shinigami robes and he, too, had a captain's haori on his shoulders. Around his neck was an expensive-looking white scarf. His face was serious, not a hint of any kind of emotion anywhere on his face, not even his eyes. _This must be Byakuya's grandfather, Ginrei, _Buffy thought as she examined his face. _Captain of the Sixth Division_.

"I will make sure Byakuya knows that you will set up another training session with him in a few days," the moustachioed man said. "I'll walk you out."

With one last look at the two nobles chasing each other around the courtyard, listening to Yoruichi's laughs and Byakuya's annoyed snarls, Buffy allowed herself to be led out of the Kuchiki manor, knowing that she would most likely be a frequent guest in the months to come.

***

Bah. Okay, so I know it's about three and a half months late. And I know it's about 1,000 words shorter than what I've been churning out in previous chapters. Life's decided to kick my ass, as people who have read my other fic, "About The Blood" already know. I'm hoping to get back to my every two weeks posting schedule, although I'm not sure how well that will work out.

As always, questions/comments/criticism are always appreciated, and I will do my best to answer any questions you may have, although plot points are under wraps until they are revealed in the story.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Buffy left the Kuchiki manor alone, Ginrei only leading her to the gates. She had a general idea of how to get back to the school, and from the school to her dormitory, having paid attention to her surroundings when Byakuya had taken her to the manor. It might take a couple of wrong turns, but she'd find her way home eventually.

"Buffy!"

Had it been almost any other male voice, she might have told them off. She didn't want to deal with any more testosterone poisoning that day; indeed, she'd had more than enough to last her a while. She turned to see Yumichika leaning against the wall surrounding the Kuchiki estate, his arms crossed and a soft smile on his face.

"Come to escort me home?" Buffy asked as Yumichika pushed off the wall and offered his arm to her.

"Something like that," Yumichika replied as Buffy took his arm. He smiled down at her before continuing. "How was your day?"

"Besides the fact that Ikkaku's suffering from testosterone poisoning and I get to deal with him?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. "Pretty good, I'd say."

"So, is Kuchiki teaching you how to fight?" Yumichika asked, amused.

"Hardly," Buffy replied with a snort. "More like the other way around, there."

"Well, that's good," Yumichika said as they continued to walk. The sun was beginning to set, casting the sky with a pretty orange glow. "I'm glad to see that you're making more friends."

"Ikkaku's not," Buffy said with a scowl, although she was pleased that Yumichika approved of her friend-making endeavours. "I swear, the only person he hasn't freaked out about is Rangiku!"

"Well, he's quite resistant to change, you know," Yumichika replied thoughtfully. "And he's quite protective of what he considers his."

Buffy blinked, dumbfounded for a few moments. How the hell did that happen? Ikkaku could barely tolerate her on the best of days; at least, that was how he made it seem. He had made it abundantly clear numerous times, and she doubted anyone was that good of an actor. She had to admit there were a few times where he was less of an ass, but Buffy liked to think that those moments were temporary weakness on Ikkaku's part. Or insanity.

"Crazy person says what?" she asked quickly.

"What?" Yumichika said, before he got the joke. He narrowed his eyes at her, before smiling again. "Very funny, Buffy. Although, now that I think of it, I can't think of anyone better for my little sister."

"Wait a sec, who are you calling little?" Buffy asked, mirroring his previous narrow-eyed expression. Except this time, there was no smile.

"Younger sister, then?" Yumichika suggested.

"How come you get to be the older sibling?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. "I'm the one with the older sibling experience, here."

"What's your experience?" Yumichika asked, curious. Maybe he'd get some of the information that Ikkaku was currently in possession of. The bald man had been staunchly tight-lipped about what he and Buffy had discussed that night. While he admired Ikkaku's loyalty to Buffy, it bothered him a little that he knew next to nothing about the girl he had adopted as his sister, and Ikkaku knew nearly everything.

"Because I have a little sister," Buffy replied, her voice soft. "Well, kind of. It's complicated. Her name was Dawn."

"Tell me about her?" Yumichika prompted. He could hear the hurt in Buffy's voice, and he hoped he wouldn't regret asking her about her past life, before she had come to Soul Society.

He wasn't disappointed, because Buffy began telling the story about her sister, Dawn. She told him how Dawn wasn't technically her sister at all, how she had really been a mystical key shoved into a human body made by the blood of the Slayer and inserted into her life as her sister. She told him how their memories had been altered so it seemed like Dawn had been there the entire time. She told him about Glory and Ben and how they wanted to use Dawn's blood to open a portal to the hellgoddess's home dimension. She told him about her end, how she had jumped to close the portal, and how she had ended up, almost literally, falling into Yumichika and Ikkaku's laps.

"Those monks did a hell of a job," Buffy said, her voice choking a bit. "They wanted the Slayer to protect the Key with her life, and I did. And now I'm here."

"I still want to be the older sibling," Yumichika said at the end of Buffy's story. She looked at him, perplexed, unshed tears in her eyes, so he explained himself. "You've had way too much to worry about, way too many people to protect. You deserve to have someone worry about you and protect you now. And I want to be the one to do it."

"It's going to take a lot of getting used to," Buffy said "I'm used to being the one in charge, the responsible one. I can't promise I won't jump in front of you if someone decides they're going to attack you or anything like that."

"And I wouldn't want you to change," Yumichika said, squeezing her closer to him. "Although you have to understand that I can look after myself. Been doing since way before you were here, and I've been looking after Ikkaku for almost as long. So, do you like your new room mate?"

"She's all right," Buffy replied, thankful for the change in topic. "She was in my group for the entrance exam. Made fun of my height. Thinks I'm nuts because I'm friends with Ikkaku after I told her how we met, but other than that I think we'll get along okay. How are the other guys in your dorm? No problems, I hope."

"Well, Ikkaku doesn't like the Iba guy, but I think that has more to do with the fact that Iba's getting close to you than anything else," Yumichika replied. Buffy rolled her eyes; typical Ikkaku. Yumichika glanced around nervously for a few moments before he continued. "That Ichimaru kid creeps me out, though. What's up with that smile?"

"I know!" Buffy exclaimed, before she stopped walking. She held a finger to her lips, listening carefully.

"What is it?" Yumichika asked before Buffy shushed him. She was silent for a few more moments, her head cocked to the side as if listening for something before she shook her head and brought herself back to the present.

"Sorry, I thought I heard something, but I think it's gone now," Buffy replied, shaking her head again. "So, Gin. Creepy, huh? Glad I'm only living with his best friend."

"What's up with his eyes, though? I've never seen him open them," Yumichika asked.

"I have no idea," Buffy replied "If I think about it, I'll ask Rangiku about it. Can't make any promises I'll get the information from her, though."

"I've always found that getting people drunk is a great way to get information out of people," Yumichika said. "It's led to some rather illuminating conversations with Ikkaku while he was inebriated."

"Anything recent?" Buffy asked, curious.

"Oddly enough, no," Yumichika replied thoughtfully. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was on to me. and since when do you care? I thought you didn't like Ikkaku."

"I never said I didn't like him," Buffy said quickly. Yumichika arched an eyebrow at her. "He just annoys the ever-loving crap out of me and makes me want to hit him most of the time."

"I think someone has a crush," Yumichika said in a sing-song voice.

"Do not," Buffy retorted with a scowl.

"Oh, such a mature response," Yumichika said, as he tried to extract himself from Buffy's grip. She held firm, using some of her Slayer strength to keep him there.

"You tell anyone your theory, and I will beat you to a bloody pulp," Buffy said, her eyes narrowed. "You know I can do it, too."

"So, you admit it," Yumichika stated, trying to keep the terror out of his voice. He was pretty certain that she wouldn't go as far as to beat him to a bloody pulp, but that didn't mean she couldn't.

"I'm admitting nothing," Buffy replied with a snort. "I'm just saying that if you spread something like that around, you're not going to like what's going to happen to you."

"Understood," Yumichika said, gulping slightly as they began crossing the courtyard, heading towards the student dorms.

"Hypothetically speaking, what would you do if I did, say, have feelings for Ikkaku?" Buffy asked, after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"I'd stand back and watch the fireworks, and hope neither of you get burned," Yumichika replied. Buffy just looked at him, curious, as they stopped at her residence hall. He stooped slightly and wrapped Buffy in a tight hug. "Good night, little sister. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Who are you calling little?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow as Yumichika pulled away.

"Good night, Buffy," he said again, amused as he turned and walked away. Buffy sighed and turned, entering the building and heading up the stairs until she got to her own room. Rangiku was already there, lounging on her bed with a book in her hands.

"Where have you been?" she asked, curious as she marked her place and sat up. She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Hanging out with that hot guy from the party?"

"Hardly," Buffy replied with a snort. She flopped down face first onto her bed, turning her head so that she was looking at her room mate. "Training session with one of my classmates. He wanted some help, I said I'd do it. Then my brother walked me home, even though it kind of creeps me out that he was following me."

"He's just doing it because he cares," Rangiku said. "Gin does that to me all the time. Annoying as hell sometimes, but it's better to know that someone cares about you than be alone in the world."

"I guess so," Buffy said. "So, how were your classes?"

"Good so far, I think," Rangiku said with a shrug. "Pretty much was just an introduction to the classes, what we would be learning, all that stuff."

"Sounds a lot like my day," Buffy said. "Although we did do a little sparring during the combat class. After I handed my partner's ass to him, he asked for some extra tutoring. Warms a girl's heart when the younger generation asks me for help."

"How old was he?" Rangiku asked, curious.

"I don't know, young," Buffy replied with a shrug. "Gin's age, I would guess."

"Huh," Rangiku said.

"Huh what?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Huh, nothing," Rangiku replied. "Just a non-committal noise."

"Okay then," Buffy said. She grabbed one of the books on her bedside table, for one of her classes the next day. Rangiku turned back to her book, taking notes as she did so as Buffy began to read, slipping into a bit of a zone in her reading until her eyes began to droop, signifying it was time for bed.

***

The next few weeks passed in a bit of a blur. Classes were attended, tutoring sessions were set up and carried out and Buffy was getting closer and closer to both Iba and Rangiku, much to Ikkaku's endless annoyance and Buffy's amusement. Yumichika refused to get in between them, saying that he didn't want to be caught in the crossfire if all out war was to be declared. Most people would say he was a very, very smart man.

Everything seemed really and truly normal as Buffy settled into a routine, except for one thing she couldn't quite shake.

Buffy couldn't help but feel that she was being followed.

Going to and from classes, to and from the Kuchiki manor and to and from her dormitory, she couldn't help but feel someone was watching her, following her. It was odd, and creepy, and it made her feel a little violated. She was almost always with at least one person when going to and from anywhere; along with Iba, Rangiku, Byakuya, Yumichika and Ikkaku Buffy had started talking to some of the other people in her classes, and could be found in the company of any one or more of them when not in classes. When she was with her friends, it wasn't difficult for her to ignore the feeling of being watched, but in the few times she was alone, it was nearly unbearable.

One day, the feeling was particularly bad, and the first time she had truly been able to escape the feeling was when she set foot on the Kuchiki manor grounds for her and Byakuya's training session. Even though she relaxed noticeably once she was within the walls of the manor, Byakuya could tell something was wrong almost immediately.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concerned. They'd gotten relatively close during the last couple of weeks, training together and all, and even though Byakuya kept his distance while they were in class most of the time – something about a reputation to keep up – he had gotten far better at reading her than most of the people she was close to.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Buffy replied quickly, relishing the sense of relief that washed over her. "So, what do you want to work on today?"

"I want to make sure you can keep your mind completely on whatever we decide to do today," Byakuya said. "I don't want you to have to explain away any bruises or anything tomorrow."

"Oh please, everyone I know knows we're working together," Buffy said with a scoff, causing Byakuya to scowl. "Besides, I heal way faster than most people and any bruises you inflict will probably be gone by morning anyway."

"Well, then, how about we work on your kido?" Byakuya said. Buffy blinked at him. "It is part of our agreement, after all, and I do remember what happened in class last week."

"Don't remind me," Buffy said with a grimace. Blowing herself up had not been fun, and not an experience she was willing to repeat. "I don't think I have the concentration to keep from blowing myself up today."

"So, there is something on your mind," Byakuya stated, arching an eyebrow at her.

"I never said that," Buffy replied quickly.

"But you just said you didn't have the concentration to keep from blowing yourself up," Byakuya said. "If you are unable to concentrate on the task at hand, it implies that you have other things on your mind. Now, tell me what it is."

"You're gonna have to beat it out of me," Buffy retorted, grinning a little when the young boy scowled. "And since we both know you can't beat me, you're never gonna get it out of me."

She had almost no time to dodge the attack with the wooden sword Byakuya had had at his waist. As she rolled, she grabbed a wooden sword from the pile and brandished it as she kneeled, blocking another blow that came down hard.

"I told you, you're not going to get it out of me," Buffy said before another onslaught of attacks came her way.

Byakuya fought hard, his skills having improved a fair amount in the last couple of weeks, having both trained with Buffy and on his own. However, he was still no match for Buffy, who had her Slayer skills, training and strength on her side. Before very long, Buffy had him restrained, wooden blade on his throat.

"Do you concede?" she asked, amused at the glare she was receiving.

"I concede," Byakuya said between gritted teeth. She let him go, knowing that conceding defeat was difficult for him. He flexed and rolled the shoulder of the arm Buffy had held behind his back, making sure she hadn't done any permanent damage. "I still don't understand you."

"What's to understand?" Buffy asked as she picked up the wooden swords, putting them back in their proper places.

"How you are the way you are," Byakuya replied, curious. "You're unlike any woman I've ever met before."

"Well, I'm one of a kind," Buffy replied with a grin. _He has no idea how true that statement is,_ she thought. Byakuya didn't know her status as a former Slayer, and she hoped he wouldn't for a while. It was something that didn't really need to be spoken about, after all. "So, was there anything you really wanted to work on? Because I think I might pack it in early. Lots of studying, you know."

"No, no, I don't think there's anything else," Byakuya said. "Do you need me to escort you home?"

"No, I think I know the way by now," Buffy replied. "I'll see you in class tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, see you then," Byakuya returned, a small smile crossing his face. She beamed back before skipping out of the garden. One of the servants was waiting for her at the entrance back into the house, and she would lead Buffy through the house and out the gate.

Alone for the first time in several days, the sense of being watched returned in full force as soon as she left the safety of the Kuchiki manor.

"Okay, seriously, I know you've been following me," Buffy said aloud, hoping that her stalker would finally come out and show him or herself so that she could kick their ass. "Come out where I can see you and maybe I'll make your death quick and painless."

"I doubt that, Ayasegawa."

Buffy whirled around and saw the creepy guy from the party, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, standing behind her, his sword in his hand.

"You see, it would be difficult for you to kill me, because I am in possession of a weapon and you are not," he continued, advancing on her. "You have two options. One, you may come with me willingly and I will inflict as little pain on you as possible. Or, you can resist and I will take you by force. Either way, you will be coming with me."

"I've won with worse odds," Buffy retorted. "And there's no way in hell I'm going with you. Bring it on."

"As you wish, my lady," Kurotsuchi said with a nasty smile. "Rip, Ashisogi Jizo."

The sword transformed from a normal katana into a weapon that looked like no other weapon she'd seen before. The guard was shaped like an ugly baby's head with three blades coming out from its head. The middle blade was the longest.

"What the hell is that?" Buffy asked, staring at the weapon.

"It's my Zanpakuto, Ashisogi Jizo," Kurotsuchi replied. "It has special powers. Would you like to see them?"

"I'm going to have you down for the count before you can show me," Buffy taunted, launching herself at him, using her newly-learned flash steps to get closer, faster. Part of her brain was telling her to run away as fast as she possibly could, but the Slayer in her wasn't going to let her back down from a challenge, even though the odds were stacked against her.

Kurotsuchi had seemingly anticipated the attack, because as she reappeared in front of him, ready to tackle him to the ground, he held up his Zanpakuto and nicked her on the arm. It fell to her side, dead.

"What the hell?!" Buffy shouted, staring at the arm that now hung limply at her side.

"Ah yes, I neglected to tell you," Kurotsuchi said, the nasty smile on his face again. "Ashisogi Jizo has an interesting special ability. It paralyzes anything it touches. You will not last long, now."

Buffy tried to dodge the blows that came her way, using flash steps, running away as she did, but before long the use of flash steps was fatiguing her, and when Kurotsuchi had cut her leg with his Zanpakuto, she knew that fighting any more was pointless.

"Now then, I hope I didn't do any permanent damage to you," Kurotsuchi said as he picked Buffy up and slung her over his shoulder. "Now, if you scream I'm going to have to sedate you until we get to my lab."

Buffy, not heeding his request, opened her mouth and screamed like a banshee. Kurotsuchi procured a syringe from his robes and stabbed it into Buffy's behind, the only place that was within easy reach. The fast-acting sedative coursed through her body so quickly that she'd only gotten an additional five seconds of screaming in before she hung limp over Kurotsuchi's shoulder, allowing him to carry her dead weight in peace.

Chuckling to himself in satisfaction, he began carrying her, confident that no one would see him.

***

About an hour later, Yumichika approached the Kuchiki manor. As he drew nearer, he could feel that something was off, something wasn't quite right. Normally he waited for Buffy outside, but this time he was compelled to knock on the door to see if she was still in the manor. Drawing up on his reserves of courage, he knocked respectfully on the door before stepping back and waiting for someone to answer it.

"Yes?"

Standing in the doorway was an elderly man, an indifferent expression on his face. He was clothed in the standard Shinigami uniform, and draped around his neck was a very expensive-looking scarf.

"Um, hello," Yumichika greeted, feeling suddenly awkward. "I was wondering if my sister was still here. Buffy Ayasegawa, she's over here a few times a week to train with Byakuya-sama."

"She left an hour ago," the man replied. "I believe she was returning home after her training with my grandson."

"Okay. Um, thank you," Yumichika said, bowing slightly before turning to leave. He was beginning to feel a little concerned, although he was pretty sure she had just gone directly to her dormitory when she had left the Kuchiki manor. As quickly as he could, he headed back to the residence halls, hoping against hope that she had gone straight home.

He first went to Buffy's dormitory, running up the stairs until he reached Buffy's room. He'd only been in there a couple of times, but it was easy enough to remember where it was. He knocked on the door and waited, hoping that Buffy answered the door.

"Hi Yumichika," Rangiku greeted, poking her head out the door. "If you're looking for Buffy, she's not here."

"Oh," Yumichika said, crestfallen. "Have you seen her today?"

"Not since she left for Kuchiki's a couple of hours ago," Rangiku said thoughtfully. "Why, what's wrong?"

"She left the Kuchiki manor about an hour ago and no one's seen her since," Yumichika replied. Rangiku's eyes widened.

"Have you looked everywhere?" she asked.

"Well, not yet," Yumichika replied. "I haven't checked my place, or the library yet."

"Well then, let's go," Rangiku said, grabbing his hand and dragging him down the hall and out of the building.

They asked everyone they came across between the residence halls and the library and the library to the kido training grounds and from the kido grounds back to the residence halls. Either people had seen her earlier in the day, but hadn't for a few hours, or hadn't seen her at all. This was beginning to worry Yumichika.

"Maybe she's hanging out with Iba at your dorm," Rangiku suggested as they reached the residence halls again. "They have been getting pretty close lately."

"And I hope I never know just how close," Yumichika replied with a small shudder. They may not really be related, but he had come to think of Buffy as his real sister over the time he had known her, and the thought of her doing anything remotely not innocent with anyone made him feel a little nauseated. "But it can't hurt."

"Lead the way, then," Rangiku said, and Yumichika did. Up the stairs they went until they reached Yumichika's room, which he shared with his three room mates. He barged in, not caring about the mess that was more than likely to greet them. Rangiku followed, a little more calmly, causing the two men already in the room to scramble up and try to make themselves look a little more presentable.

"Oh please," Rangiku said with a scoff, rolling her eyes.

"Jeez Yumichika, could you give us a little warning if you're going to bring a girl over?" Ikkaku grumbled. Iba was most likely glaring at him, although he couldn't tell because his eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.

"We don't have time for that," Yumichika said as he scanned the room. As he expected, his sister wasn't there. "Buffy's missing."

***

Chapter fourteen done. I hope you enjoy it ^_^. Feedback is always appreciated, flames will be used to toast marshmallows.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"What do you mean, Buffy's missing?" Iba asked, an eyebrow appearing over the top of his sunglasses.

"What do you think it means?" Ikkaku asked, agitated. "Idiot."

"You guys can argue later," Rangiku said with a huff. "We don't have time for your male posturing bullshit. God, I can't believe she puts up with you. Now, Yumichika, did you look anywhere else for Buffy before you and I went on our own hunt?"

"I knocked on the door of the Kuchiki manor. Talked to an old guy; probably a captain or something by the look of him," Yumichika replied.

"Ginrei Kuchiki, captain of Squad Six," Iba replied absently, causing the other three people in the room to stare at him. "What? I pay attention when Buffy tells me stuff."

"Well Yumichika, that's your problem right there," Ikkaku said. "You should have talked to the kid. He'd know more about what Buffy's been like the last few weeks. Has she been acting weird around you guys?"

"When did you turn into logic man?" Rangiku asked, curious. "And she's been kind of edgy for the last little while, like someone's going to jump out and attack her or something."

"Can someone make enemies that fast?" Iba asked. "I just can't imagine someone like Buffy having enemies."

"You obviously don't know her well at all, then," Ikkaku replied with a snort, causing Rangiku to elbow him in the ribs. "Why did you do that, you stupid cow?"

"Iba might not know everything about Buffy. In fact, I doubt any of us do," Rangiku said, her blue eyes narrowing at him "However, you seem to know the most about her. You'd better start sharing, Ikkaku, before I start getting violent."

"Well, there was this one guy. Buffy wouldn't tell me his name, though," Ikkaku began. "She ran into him at the welcome party. He said some things that didn't sit well with her, and she nearly broke his arm when he grabbed her arm. Buffy told me she'd handled it!"

"Hey, I remember that guy," Iba said suddenly. "Black and white face paint, blue hair. Gave me a bad feeling."

"What did he say to her, Ikkaku?" Yumichika asked.

"She wouldn't give me details. Hell, she didn't even want to tell me about it, but I got it out of her anyway," Ikkaku replied. "All she said was that the guy reminded her of Professor Walsh, a woman she knew when she was alive. Mad scientist type, liked to conduct experiments on demons to see what made them tick. I think she might have experimented on Buffy, but she didn't actually tell me that."

"So, you're saying that a potentially crazy mad scientist kidnapped Buffy and is going to experiment on her?" Iba asked, sounding more than a little sceptical. "Why would someone want to experiment on Buffy, of all people?"

"We can figure out the why later," Yumichika said. "We need to find Buffy now before something bad happens to her."

"How do you propose we do that?" Rangiku asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, first we should go talk to Kuchiki," Yumichika replied. "He was the last person to see her before she disappeared. Maybe we can get some information about this mystery Shinigami that might have taken Buffy."

"What are we waiting for, then?" Ikkaku asked, standing up and stalking across the room. He stopped at the door. "Let's go storm the Kuchiki manor!"

"I don't know if storming the manor would be the best way to approach this," Rangiku said. "But going there and politely asking to speak to Byakuya and Captain Kuchiki could work."

"I don't care how we do it, let's just get going already!" Ikkaku exclaimed as he yanked open the dormitory door and stormed out of the room. Yumichika, Iba and Rangiku scrambled to follow him, practically running to catch up to the bald man.

All four of them hoped to find Buffy in one piece.

"Ow," Buffy groaned as she tried to sit up, surprised when she found that she couldn't. Securely strapped to a gurney in a dimly lit examination room with different machines and contraptions all around, monitoring everything about her that could be monitored. Standing at a computer console was none other than Mayuri Kurotsuchi, typing away.

"Struggling will get you nowhere, Ayasegawa," he said, his gaze still concentrated on the computer screen. "Those straps are Kido spelled and impossible for even you to break."

Growling under her breath, Buffy struggled against her bonds. Sure enough, they held fast, absolutely no give. Oh well, you couldn't blame a girl for trying.

"Did you think I was lying to you, Ayasegawa?" Kurotsuchi asked as he came over to check and make sure the straps were still holding fast. "I'd hate to have to sedate you. My readings will not be as accurate if you are under the influence of any mood altering drugs."

"What do you want with me?" Buffy asked as Mayuri moved from the computer console to one of the other machines around the gurney, checking it before he turned in gold-eyed stare on her.

"I would think even someone with a mind as simple as yours would remember our previous conversation," Mayuri replied, his gaze unblinking. "I wish to experiment on you."

"But why?" Buffy asked. "I'm not special. I'm just a girl."

"That's where you're wrong, Ayasegawa," Mayuri replied. "Or you're lying to me. Either way, I don't care, because I have you here now. You are far from just a girl, Ayasegawa. I am under the impression you are an extraordinary girl. One girl in all the world, you might say."

Buffy froze, her eyes widening. How in the hell did he know about that? No one, except Yumichika and Ikkaku knew about that, and even then only Ikkaku knew any concrete details. How had he… ? Unless he was being a sneaky bastard and had eavesdropped. From what she knew about him, she wouldn't put it past him.

"You're probably wondering how I know about this," Mayuri continued as he stabbed Buffy in the arm with a syringe, injecting her with a dark green liquid.

"Ow!" Buffy exclaimed, glaring at Mayuri at his roughness. "I thought you said you wouldn't give me anything if I stopped struggling. I stopped struggling, so you'd better keep up your end of the bargain."

"I said I wouldn't sedate you. I never said I wouldn't administer other chemicals to see how you'd react to them," Mayuri replied with a smirk.

"My brother's so gonna kick your ass when he figures out I'm missing," Buffy snarled. "Hell, when I get out of these restraints, _I'm_ going to kick your sorry kidnapping ass. There won't even be anything left for Ikkaku or Yumichika to play with."

"I have no doubt of that, Ayasegawa," Mayuri replied calmly, the corners of his mouth turning up in a smile. "That's why I have you restrained. You know, I watched your entrance examination and reviewed the footage for hours, trying to figure out how someone so small, so delicate, so feminine, got so far in the combat portion of the examination. It defied all logic I could think of; even if a woman were skilled in fighting, her male opponent's superior strength and size would soon overpower her. Then, after I propositioned you, I overheard you and that brother of yours talking about something. Something that intrigued me. Do you know what that thing was?"

Buffy resisted the urge to roll her eyes and give him the best "_well, duh"_ she could manage. She had a feeling that that would work against her desire to stay alive and mostly unscathed, so she kept her mouth shut, narrowing her eyes at the mad scientist puttering around her.

"You talked about being something when you were alive, the Slayer," Mayuri continued. "In all my years as a research specialist, I'd never heard that term. Of course, I needed to investigate. I consulted various sources to see what I could find about this Slayer, this thing you claimed to be. One girl in all the world, one girl given the speed, strength and skills to hunt the vampires, demons and the forces of darkness. Such an interesting concept. Of course, I doubted the information I acquired. The idea of a lone teenage being the first and last line of defence between the human world and the supernatural world is ludicrous at best."

"Then what are you going to do with that information?" Buffy asked, mildly curious. "I mean, if you don't believe it's true, then there's really no point in me being here, right?"

"Ah, but if I went with just my gut feeling, I wouldn't be a very good scientist," Mayuri replied. "My conclusions are dependent on the scientific method, not listening to gut feelings and emotions. Therefore, I must conduct experiments to either prove or disprove my doubt."

"Why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like this?" Buffy asked as Mayuri flipped a switch. A column of light illuminated a previously darkened area of the room right in front of her, and standing in the light was a hulking figure, its face deformed in such a way that told Buffy that he was a vampire.

"I stand corrected," Buffy said as she eyed what was most likely going to be her opponent. "I'm _definitely_ not going to like this."

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

"Did you really have to bang on the door like that, Ikkaku?" Yumichika said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm sure knocking would have gotten their attention just as easily."

"And they wouldn't think we're raving lunatics trying to break down the door," Rangiku muttered, crossing her arms.

"Well, I'm sorry if I'm the only one who's worried about Buffy and wants to get her back," Ikkaku snarled, pounding on the door. "Open this damn door before I break it down!"

"I don't think that would be necessary."

The door creaked open, revealing a tall, somewhat elderly man, dressed in a Shinigami uniform, a white haori over top. Wrapped around his neck was an expensive-looking silk scarf. A serious, unimpressed expression adorned his face, making it abundantly clear that the four Shinigami Academy students on his doorstep were far from welcome. Captain Ginrei Kuchiki.

"Sorry about him, he's just a little antsy," Rangiku apologized, pushing her way to the forefront of the group, shushing any objections with an icy glare. "We're wondering if you could help us. Our friend, Buffy was here a couple of hours ago training with your grandson. We haven't seen her in a few hours and we were wondering if you heard or seen anything after she left."

"No," Ginrei replied.

"Well, maybe we could speak to Byakuya?" Rangiku asked hopefully. "He was the last person to see her before she disappeared and while we might not get any information out of him, we want to cover all of our bases, you know?"

"I suppose that could be acceptable," Ginrei replied, moving so that the foursome could enter the manor. He turned to a small woman passing by with a purposeful stride. "Please show our guests to the garden, where Byakuya should still be practicing."

"Yes, sir," she said quietly before she crooked her finger at the students. "Please, follow me."

The quartet was silent was they were led through the manor until they reached the garden, where Byakuya was swinging a wooden sword against an imaginary opponent. His movements were fluid, controlled, much like a dance, eerily similar to Buffy's fighting style, but with a more masculine spin on it. He stopped when he spotted the older students standing there, watching him.

"What do you want?" he asked, dropping his wooden sword to his side. "In case you're wondering, Buffy's not here. She left hours ago."

"She's gone missing," Ikkaku snarled, having been borderline polite up until then. "You'd better tell us everything you know, you little shit, or I'm going to kick your ass so hard your grandkids'll feel it."

"Buffy's missing?" Byakuya asked, his eyes widening in shock.

"Didn't I just tell ya that?" Ikkaku asked with a roll of his eyes. "She's gone missing and you were the last person to see her before she got kidnapped. So start talking."

"There's nothing to really say," Byakuya replied, although he was beginning to feel worried. "I mean, she seemed a little distracted. Said she wouldn't be able to concentrate on Kido without blowing herself up. Also said she would tell me what was bothering her if I could beat her in a fight."

"So I'm guessing she didn't tell you?" Ikkaku said with a snort. "Figures. Scrawny little twerp like you wouldn't be able to beat her."

"From what I've heard, neither can you, so we're on even footing on that point," Byakuya retorted with a scoff.

"Ikkaku, could you please be civil? You're not helping," Yumichika said. He turned to Byakuya. "And neither are you."

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

"Do you think your grandfather might be able to help us with something?" Rangiku asked, breaking Byakuya's attention from Ikkaku as he turned to focus on her. "We're pretty sure we know who took Buffy, and we just need a little help identifying him."

"I don't know, but it can't hurt to ask," Byakuya replied. "The thing is, the squad captains don't really pay attention to the members of different squads, so I doubt he'd be much help if this person isn't in Squad Six."

"Don't worry, it's really hard to miss this guy," Rangiku reassured him. "Do you think we could talk to him now? I don't want to waste any more time, and I doubt you do, either."

"I'll go get him," Byakuya said, leaving the quartet alone in the garden.

They sat in silence, contemplating the situation they were in, hoping and praying that they would find Buffy alive. They weren't left alone long, though, as mere minutes from his departure, Byakuya was back, his grandfather on tow.

"My grandson says you seem to think I may be able to aid you in finding your friend," Ginrei said. "Although I am unsure of how what kind of assistance I cam provide, I will do all I can to help. Miss Ayasegawa had done my family a great service by teaching my grandson, and I can only hope you find her."

"We're looking for a Shinigami," Iba said, speaking for the first time. "He's around my height, has blue hair and wears black and white face paint. A little on the crazy side, but that might not completely come out unless you talk to him."

"A little crazy?" Ikkaku asked incredulously. "A _little_ crazy? You're talking about a guy who kidnapped a girl so that he could experiment on her because she may or may not have mystical powers above and beyond that of the average Shinigami. If that's a little crazy, I don't want to see your definition of a lot crazy."

Silence descended on the group for several long moments, digesting what Ikkaku had said. He sat there with his mouth hanging open; he couldn't believe he had said that! Buffy was going to kill him when she found out.

"Anyway, moving on," Rangiku said, clearing her throat. "Does that sound like anyone you might have seen? Any help would be appreciated."

"Yes, it does," Captain Kuchiki replied, stroking his chin. "That sounds a lot like one of the Squad Twelve Shinigami. I'm sorry, but I don't know his name, although I do know he works in the science department of that squad."

"That's great, thank you," Rangiku said gratefully with a bow. "Come on boys, let's bring Buffy back already!"

As they turned to leave, a voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Wait!" Byakuya exclaimed. "I'm coming with you."

"Now then," Mayuri said as he crossed the room so that he was far away from Buffy and the vampire. "I am going to watch you as you slay this vampire. Simple enough, yes?"

"Which means there's a catch," Buffy retorted. She rattled her shackles. "Are you gonna release these, or not?"

"I will release the binding Kido, but after that you're on your own," Mayuri replied with a chuckle. "Think if it as yet another way to display your Slayer strength."

He stopped walking, having stepped onto a platform. Pushing a button on a control panel, the platform began to rise until it was twenty feet off of the ground. _Figures, _Buffy thought, struggling against her bonds a little. _Rat bastard's probably scared I'm gonna rip him limb from limb. _

"And the Kido spell is off of your shackles," Mayuri called from his platform, waving his hand as he did so. Something released on the shackles, and Buffy could feel them groaning when she pulled on them. She saw Mayuri wave his hand again, and before she knew it, the vampire was advancing on her.

Struggling against her bonds, Buffy tried to free herself as the vampire advanced on her. It growled, smelling the air as it approached.

"Slayer," he hissed as Buffy struggled some more, one of her legs finally breaking free.

"Slay-ee," Buffy retorted, her leg lashing out, kicking the vampire hard enough to send him flying back several feet. As he recovered, Buffy struggled some more, feeling the metal at her wrists give way a little more, although she still couldn't break the bonds. Her other leg broke free from its bonds, and just in time. The vampire was getting to his feet, a smirk on his face.

"I am going to enjoy feeding on you," he said. "The painted man said that I the Slayer is mine for the taking, and that I may partake in my fill of her blood."

"That's if you can get to me," Buffy snarled, foot lashing out again as the vampire advanced. This was ridiculous, and hardly fair. Even during the Cruciamentum, while she had been drugged, she could still escape and still had weapons at her disposal.

She tried to break her arms free from their chains again, smiling slightly to herself when they finally gave way. She leapt away from the upright gurney she had been strapped to, having mere seconds to savour her freedom before the vampire was on her at full strength, knocking her to the floor. She struggled against him, fighting for control, able to throw his weight off of her enough to roll them over so that she was on top.

Without a stake or some other method to slay the vampire, though, she was going to be in trouble, fast…

"What the hell do you mean, you're coming with us?" Ikkaku asked, arching an eyebrow. "What help are you going to be?"

"Out of the five of us students, who of us knows Seiretei best?" Byakuya asked stubbornly. "Me, that's who. I grew up around here. I know where all of the squad headquarters are. I might not know where this Kurotsuchi guy might be hiding, but I can give you a starting point."

"What makes you think gramps is going to let you go?" Ikkaku asked, only to have Byakuya launch himself at him. If Yumichika and Iba hadn't been there to hold the younger boy back, he probably would have knocked Ikkaku to the ground.

Well, he would have made a valiant effort.

"This path has been brought before my grandson, and the decision for him to go down it is his alone," Captain Kuchiki cut in. "I cannot make this decision for him and neither can you, and my preferences in the matter are irrelevant."

"I'm going, so there," Byakuya said, sticking his tongue out at Ikkaku.

"I dare you to do that again," Ikkaku growled.

"I will not condone violence in my home," Captain Kuchiki said, placing a hand on Byakuya's shoulder. The boy seemed to deflate at the contact, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I suggest that you try the Twelfth Squad barracks first, and work from there. Good luck, I hope you find her."

"Thank you, Jii-sama," Byakuya said respectfully. The other four students nodded once in thanks and all five of them turned, leaving the manor quickly.

Buffy was able to throw the vampire off of herself, jumping to her feet as the creature flew several feet away. She slid into a fighting stance, ready for another onslaught from the vampire when six beams shot from across the room, spearing her and making her unable to move.

"What the hell?!" Buffy exclaimed, glaring at the only other person in the room who could have cast it. She recognized the spell; it was Bakudo 61, Six Rods Prison Light.

"I thought your fight was becoming too easy, so I thought I'd even the odds a little," Mayuri called from his perch with a smirk.

"Swear to God, I'm going to kill that troll," Buffy muttered to herself, concentrating on breaking the Kido. While she hadn't attempted to break one this high a level of Kido, but she had to try. She didn't really want to know what happened when you died a third time.

Apparently, she concentrated hard enough, because the rods shattered at that moment. She launched herself at the vampire, putting on an offence that drove it onto the defence. Buffy only hoped that she could tire it out enough that she could, possibly, rip its head off or something. She kept an eye out for something, anything, that could be substituted for a stake or something she could decapitate the vampire with; there was no wood whatsoever in the laboratory, and the only sword within a fifty foot radius was the one hanging from the front of Mayuri's belt.

Her perusal for a weapon must have distracted her more than she thought, because before long the vampire had landed a kick to her stomach, sending her flying; the only thing that stopped her was a wall. Before she could slide down to the floor, the vampire was on her, pinning her to the wall.

"I'm going to enjoy this," the vampire said, fangs bared. Buffy closed her eyes and braced herself for the pain, vaguely aware of the sound of someone breaking down the door. The vampire turned from her, distracted. "What the hell?!"

It didn't take the students long to reach the squad barracks, and even less time than that to reach the Twelfth Squad barracks.

"Oi, you there!" Ikkaku said, hailing a small, timid looking guy. "You twelfth squad?"

"Y-yes," the guy said, stammering a little. He looked young, and terrified. "Can I help you?"

"Have you seen Mayuri Kurotsuchi?" Ikkaku asked. "Know where he is?"

"He should be in the lab," the guy said. "But he doesn't like to be disturbed or anything like that…"

"But it's really important that we talk to him," Rangiku said with a pout, positioning her arms so that her breasts were thrust forward. "Can you help us, please?"

"O-okay," the Shinigami said, his eyes drawn to Rangiku's chest. "Follow me."

"What the hell was that?!" Ikkaku hissed as the nameless Shinigami turned and led them through the Twelfth Squad barracks. "You shouldn't be doing that. What are you, twelve?"

"Eighteen, actually," Rangiku replied with a huff. "And I got us in, so why the hell are you complaining? We got in without using violence, that guy got to stare at boobs, we all win here."

"Except for the fact that Ikkaku probably wanted to hit someone," Yumichika piped up. Ikkaku glared at him. "What, it's true, isn't it?"

Ikkaku grumbled under his breath as their guide stopped in front of a door.

"Here we are," he said, gesturing at the door.

"Thank you," Yumichika said before Ikkaku or Rangiku could say anything. They waited until their guide was gone before Iba brought himself to the front of the group. With an almighty yell, he made a dash for the door, breaking it down on the first try. One obstacle down, the fivesome entered the room and surveyed the situation, realizing soon after that they had maybe two seconds to come up with a plan.

Ikkaku, Yumichika and Iba went first, grabbing the vampire and throwing it off of Buffy. They went to work beating the ever-loving crap out of it, leaving Rangiku and Byakuya to attend to Buffy.

"Are you okay?" Rangiku asked, rushing over to her.

"Of course she's not okay, she's just been kidnapped and attacked!" Byakuya exclaimed, shoving Rangiku out of the way, kneeling next to Buffy as she slid down the wall. He pulled the smaller woman to him and wrapped his skinny arms around her, rubbing her back as he did so. "Everything's going to be all right, we're all here to beat the crap out of the guy who did this to you."

Rangiku smiled at the scene, knowing that if she ever mentioned it again the younger student would staunchly deny it. She turned her attention to the other three men, who were triple teaming the vampire. They were handling themselves well enough. Finally, her gaze was drawn to the man on the platform. She expected him to look upset or angry, but he looked more perplexed than anything else. Her attention remained on him until there was another commotion at the door…

One moment, Buffy was bracing herself for her third death when the vampire was pulled from her and tossed across the room. She was vaguely aware of the sounds of a fight as her attention was drawn to the two remaining people.

"Buffy, are you okay?"

"Of course she's not okay, she's just been kidnapped and attacked!"

Everything was beginning to overwhelm Buffy and she suddenly felt very tired. As she slid down the wall, she was aware of a pair of pale, skinny arms wrapping around her, holding her tightly against a skinny, masculine torso.

"Everything's going to be all right, we're all here to beat the crap out of the guy who did this to you," Byakuya murmured, rubbing her back. He released her, holding her at arm's length. "Don't you ever do that again, because I swear to God I'm going to beat the snot out of you if you make me worry like that again!"

"I'm sorry," Buffy said with a sniffle, trying hard to keep from laughing. Byakuya was hardly an intimidating figure. In fact, once she thought about it, none of her friends were, not even Ikkaku or Iba. "I promise I won't get kidnapped again."

"Very funny, smartass," Byakuya said with a roll of his eyes as he helped Buffy to her feet. "I mean, no more secrets. If you've got a stalker or something, you tell us. No more keeping this kind of stuff after yourself. We're friends, we're supposed to look out for each other."

"That's the theory, anyway," Buffy replied with a small smile, just as there was a commotion at the door.

Two old men, one Buffy recognized and one she didn't, and half a dozen black clad men burst into the room, swords out and at the ready. Captain Kuchiki made his way over to Buffy and Byakuya, the half dozen rank and file Shinigami advanced on the vampire, which by that time was almost completely subdued, and the bald old man just stood back and watched the events unfold, leaning slightly on his walking stick.

"Hey, new guys!" Buffy called out to the Shinigami. "If you want to kill the vampire, cut off its head!"

The one Shinigami that had turned to Buffy's hail nodded in understanding before running to join his comrades. Believing that the undead creature would be finally taken care of, she turned her attention to the captain heading their way.

"Jii-sama, what are you doing here?" Byakuya asked.

"Did you really think I'd let you launch this rescue mission alone?" Captain Kuchiki asked, arching an eyebrow as his gaze fell on the arm Byakuya had wrapped around Buffy's waist. "What would you have done once you rescued Miss Ayasegawa? Surely you didn't think you'd be able to bring the perpetrator to justice on your own?"

"I guess we didn't think about that," Byakuya said sheepishly.

"You're just lucky that I did think about that," Captain Kuchiki remarked.

Buffy turned as she heard an unearthly scream, the sound of a vampire turning to dust. As soon as it cleared, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Iba made their way to Buffy, Ikkaku in the lead. As soon as Ikkaku reached her, he yanked Buffy out of Byakuya's arms and drew her to him.

"Clingy much?" Buffy asked, arching her back a little so that she could look up at him. She looked at the other two men who had been taking out the vampire, both wearing identical expressions of worry and outrage. "I'm not gonna be able to go anywhere alone for a long time, aren't I?"

"You bet your ass you're not going anywhere alone," Ikkaku said seriously. Buffy looked to Yumichika and Iba for support, but they were nodding in agreement with Ikkaku. No help there. She was about to turn her attention to Rangiku, try to get her lone female friend on her side, but once the other girl opened her mouth Buffy knew she was going to get any support from that corner, either.

"No way Buffy, I'm agreeing with the guys on this one," Rangiku said with a shake of her head.

"I think it might be best if we got Miss Ayasegawa out of this place," Captain Kuchiki said gently but firmly. "We still need to question her, get all of the facts straight, but a little fresh air might do her some good.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay," Buffy agreed with a small nod. Ikkaku kept an arm around her shoulders and led her out of the laboratory and the barracks, stopping when they got outside. Yumichika had followed them, and the three of them say on a bench together, Buffy sandwiched in between her boys. Buffy leaned on Ikkaku's should and closed her eyes, heaving a huge sigh of relief.

When Buffy fell asleep, neither Ikkaku nor Yumichika had the heart to wake her up.

**Okay, so there it is. Chapter 15 done and posted. I'm sorry if the action scenes were lacking, but fight scenes are not my forte. Should have though of that before I started a fic in a very action-oriented fandom, huh?**

**Anyway, comments are always appreciated. I don't know when I'll get the next chapter up, hopefully within the next month. Not making any promises, though.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

It wasn't until half an hour later that Yumichika and Ikkaku had to wake Buffy up. One of the rank and file Shinigami had come to fetch her so that she could be questioned by the Captain-Commander, with the Squad Twelve captain and her lieutenant sitting in.

"I wish you didn't have to wake her up, but the Captain-Commander doesn't want to be kept waiting," the Shinigami said nervously, twitching slightly.

"We get that, it's just getting Buffy to understand that," Yumichika said. "She's a little cranky when someone wakes her up before she's ready."

Yumichika began prodding Buffy gently, trying to wake her without startling her. However, it wasn't working and Buffy just sighed and snuggled further into Ikkaku's shoulder. Realizing that the gentle approach wasn't going to do anything, Ikkaku reached behind her and yanked on Buffy's ponytail, hard.

"What the hell was that for, you jerk?" Buffy said, waking instantly from the pain in her scalp. She shoved him away from her, hard, causing him to fall of the bench.

"This nice young man wants to take you to talk with the Captain-Commander," Yumichika said gently, gesturing to the rather young looking Shinigami still standing before them, nervously. "The gentle approach wasn't working, so Ikkaku decided to use a more, ah, drastic method."

"You're so dead for messing with my hair," Buffy growled at the man still sitting in the dirt before turning to the Shinigami that had come to fetch her. "Let's get this over and done with, eh? After everything that's happened to me, I think I'll be able to sleep for a week."

"Follow me, please. We will be using one of the offices in Squad Twelve because it's the closest," the Shinigami said. "It probably won't take too long."

"Well, can I bring someone in with me or do I have to go it alone?" Buffy asked, her voice suddenly small. Gone was the small, blonde, popular Shinigami student who was terrifying in her own right but also had two of the scariest first year recruits for her best friends. In her place was a scared young woman who wanted to cling to someone comfortable and secure.

"I don't think the Captain-Commander would object to you bringing someone with you," the Shinigami replied. "He might be tough, but he's not completely heartless."

"Yumi, will you go in with me?" Buffy asked, looking up at the man/boy/person who had become her brother in everything but blood in the last few weeks.

"Of course I will, Buffy," Yumichika replied. Ikkaku looked like he was about to protest, but Yumichika silenced him with a look. This was hardly the time for childish insecurities to be brought to light.

"Follow me please, then," the Shinigami. Yumichika helped Buffy to her feet and they followed him back into the Squad Twelve barracks, one place Buffy hoped that she'd never have to enter again.

"Good luck," Ikkaku said, getting up from the ground as he was joined by Rangiku and Byakuya.

"Thanks, I'll need it," Buffy replied, turning to get one last look at her friends before Yumichika guided her into the barracks.

As they walked, Buffy wondered how this was going to go. Would they believe her, or the seated Shinigami that had been in the Thirteen Squads for a while now? It was between her, the lowly student that had come from the Rukongai slums and someone who was a trusted member of the Seiretei community.

Knowing her luck with authority figures, Buffy was certain she'd be packing her bags later that afternoon.

"Don't be so nervous," Yumichika whispered in her ear as they continued down a long corridor.

"Buffy and authority figures are non-mixy things," Buffy replied. "They never seem to believe me. What's going to make them start now? It's between me, an unknown person, and him, someone who is known to them. My word against his. I'll be packing my bags by this afternoon, just you wait and see."

"Well, if you get kicked out, I'm going with you," Yumichika said firmly. Buffy's eyes widened.

"No! You can't do that," Buffy said. "You have a future here, where you can do some real good in this world. I'm not going to let you throw that away because of me."

"You can't tell me what to do. You're the little sister, remember?" Yumichika retorted. Buffy resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. "We're family. Family sticks together. Where you go, I go. Within reason, of course."

"And leaving school because your sister gets kicked out is so on the reasonable side," Buffy muttered, rolling her eyes as their Shinigami guide stopped in front of a closed door near the end of the corridor.

"The Captain-Commander is in here, along with Captain Kirio Hikifune and Vice Captain Hiyori Sarugaki of Squad Twelve," he said, gesturing them inside. "Good luck."

Buffy and Yumichika entered the room and they were faced with two women and a man. The man Buffy recognized; he was the old bald man who had watched the takedown of the Vampire. She didn't recognize the women, but she could judge by the amount of power they were giving off they were the captain and vice captain they had been told about. One was taller and thin, with long brown hair streaked with grey held away from her face in a tight bun. She wore the standard Shinigami uniform with a white captain's haori over top. The other woman was tiny and delicate looking, with hair blonder than Buffy's pulled into pigtails. She, too, was dressed in the standard Shinigami uniform, although she did have an armband on her left arm. Her expression gave Buffy the impression that she wasn't very delicate at all.

"Have a seat, Ayasegawa," said the Captain-Commander. As she sat, the Captain-Commander's gaze fell on Yumichika, his eyes narrowing slightly as he did so. "Who is this?"

"This is my older brother, Yumichika," Buffy replied. "I hope it's all right that I brought him in with me. Moral support, you know?"

"You are not in trouble, Ayasegawa," the Captain-Commander said gravely. "We just wish to know what transpired in the laboratory so that we may mete out punishment accordingly."

"Please, tell us what happened to you, from the moment you were abducted to the moment you were rescued," said the older woman. "Leave no details out."

Buffy took a deep breath and began telling her story, her voice quiet. No emotion seeped into her voice; she was still in shock of it all. The entire time, Yumichika stood behind her, squeezing her shoulders reassuringly every once in a while. Once she was finished, the room was quiet for several long moments before anyone spoke.

"Thank you, Ayasegawa-san. I understand how hard this is for you, so soon after the ordeal happened," Captain Hikifune said quietly. "We will let you know what kind of punishment we will mete out when the time comes."

"You may go," the Captain-Commander said, gesturing for them to leave.

Yumichika helped his sister out of her seat and slipped an arm around her shoulder as he led her out of the room. The Shinigami that had led them to the room was in the corridor, waiting for them. Wordlessly, he led them down the corridor again until they reached the street. Waiting for them there was Ikkaku, Rangiku and Byakuya, all of them looking worried.

"How did it go?" Rangiku asked as Ikkaku rushed forward. Buffy was passed from her brother to her, well, her Ikkaku as Yumichika fielded any questions.

"It went all right, I suppose," Yumichika replied. "They said she wasn't in trouble, and they seemed to believe her. They just need to decide how severe the punishment is. She'll get to know what he gets when he gets it."

"Well good. Although any punishment they give out is too good for that bastard," Ikkaku grumbled, a protective and somewhat possessive arm around Buffy's waist.

"Can I just go home now, please?" Buffy asked, speaking directly to her friends for the first time in a little while.

"Sure, sure, anything," Rangiku replied, moving to take her from Ikkaku. The taller man pulled Buffy away from her. "Look, she said she wants to go home and since she lives with me I should be the one to take her there. Guys aren't supposed to be in the girls' dormitories anyway."

"I just want to take her up there," Ikkaku said. He was acting like a little boy with a shiny new toy and he didn't want to share. "Then I'll let her go, I swear."

"We all just want to make sure she's okay," Iba piped up, having been pretty quiet through the entire ordeal.

"Come on Buffy, let's take you home," said Ikkaku, leading the way to Buffy's dorm room with Rangiku, Iba and Yumichika on tow.

"Excellent work Ayasegawa, you've really improved!"

Yoruichi Shihoin looked on approvingly from her vantage point on the roof. She jumped down and landed in front of Buffy, an approving smile on her face.

Her ordeal with Kurotsuchi had spread like wildfire. Buffy was whispered about everywhere she went, and she heard what people were saying about what had happened. Only half of what was being said was true; the rest were outlandish lies, which would have made Buffy laugh if it all hadn't been so horrifying. The captains all knew what had gone on, and one particular captain had decided that Buffy needed to learn to defend herself better.

The Squad Two captain had approached Buffy a few days after her kidnapping and offered her services as a tutor, especially in the area of flash steps. Who better to learn flash steps from than from the Goddess of Flash herself? Her training sessions with Yoruichi had been integrated into her training sessions with Byakuya, both of them learning from the older captain.

Another thing that had changed was that her friends wouldn't let her be alone anywhere. She couldn't even go to the bathroom alone; one of the boys waited outside the washroom until she was done if Rangiku wasn't around to look after her. While the concern was touching, it was beginning to get a little annoying. Ikkaku had become a constant fixture in her training sessions with Byakuya, although he was conspicuously absent that day. In his place was Iba, mindfully watching them from behind his sunglasses.

Buffy had been training extremely hard, her Kido and flash steps especially. While she would never be top in her class in Kido, her flash steps and combat training were on par with the top students in the class, something that made her quite pleased.

"I have some good news for you," Yoruichi said, walking towards Buffy. "That bastard Kurotsuchi is being sentenced today."

Buffy, who hadn't been paying too close attention until then, dropped her wooden sword in shock.

"Do you know what he's getting?" Buffy asked, biting off the rest of what he had wanted to say.

"No one except the Captain-Commander and the Squad Twelve captain knows what is going to happen to him until the sentence is announced," Yoruichi replied. "Would you like to be there when it is announced?"

Buffy chewed her bottom lip, faced with a rather difficult decision. on the one hand, she wanted to hear what the punishment was first hand. On the other, she didn't want to face Kurotsuchi again if she could help it.

"You know we'll support you in anything you decide," Iba said, coming behind her. She leaned back a little, using him to support her weight a little.

"As long as I don't have to go alone, I'll be there," Buffy replied.

"I'm sure there will be no objections if you had Iba-san with you," Iba replied. "Or would pre prefer one of your other friends?"

"No, no, Iba's fine," Buffy replied before looking up at him. "That is, if he wants to come with me."

"Of course I'll come with you," Iba said. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?"

"Good, now that that's settled, we should get a move on because as a captain I'm supposed to be there," Yoruichi said. "Byakuya, are you coming with us?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Byakuya replied. "I wanna see that bastard go down."

"Don't let your grandfather hear you using that language," Yoruichi said. "We both know he's going to blame me for teaching it to you. I'm just going to let him know we're leaving."

Yoruichi flash stepped away and was back within a couple of minutes. She informed them that Ginrei had already left and would probably meet them down there. With that, the quartet left the Kuchiki manor and headed to the Squad One barracks.

When they got there, the room already had all of the captains in attendance. She recognized five of them, although the fifth one came as a bit of a shock. Huge and hulking, the Squad Eleven captain looked almost exactly the same as he had when he had beaten Ikkaku, save for his manner of dress. He glanced at her and arched an eyebrow before turning his attention to the Captain-Commander.

"Captains of the Thirteen Protection Squads, you have been called here to witness the sentencing of this Shinigami," the Captain-Commander began. "The facts of this case have been provided to you previously and do not need to be repeated here. "Captain Kirio Hikifune of Squad Twelve!"

"Yes, Captain-Commander," Captain Hikifune answered, stepping out from her place in line.

"Do you agree with the facts presented to you in this case and the punishment accorded to the Shinigami Mayuri Kurotsuchi?" the Captain-Commander asked.

"Yes, Captain-Commander," Captain Hikifune responded.

"Then I, Captain-Commander Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto of the Thirteen Protection Squads hereby sentence the Shinigami Mayuri Kurotsuchi to ten years in the Maggot's Nest," the Captain-Commander said. "Take him away. The rest of you are excused."

"Well, that wasn't what I expected," Buffy said as everyone started making their way out of the barracks.

"What, do you think they were too easy on him?" Iba asked as he wrapped an arm around Buffy's shoulders and led her out, behind all of the captains.

"No, I just didn't think it would go so quick," Buffy replied with a sigh. "Not complaining, though. He's locked up, I'm happy."

"And you should be," Byakuya piped up, coming up to Buffy's other side. "The Maggot's Nest is the place where the most hardened criminals who are a threat to themselves and Soul Society are locked up. I think he should be there longer, but by the time he's out of there it won't matter. You'll be a member of the Thirteen Squads and be under the protection of your Squad."

"You shouldn't be criticizing the justice system when there are so many captains around," Yoruichi said in his ear, causing him to jump. None of them had heard her coming; Buffy supposed that was one of the reasons why she was the head of the Omnitsukido.

"Dammit Yoruichi, how many time have I told you not to do that?" Byakuya said, glaring at his mentor. _He really shouldn't be talking to her like that, with all of these captains around_, Buffy thought, although she doubted they cared much.

"Come on, we'll leave them to it," Iba said, tugging Buffy away. "I'll walk you home."

"That sounds heavenly," Buffy said with a sigh, leaning on Iba as he walked her home.

The walk was quiet but far from uncomfortable. She'd gotten closer to everyone in the last couple of weeks, even Ikkaku and Yumichika. They still didn't know about her being the Slayer when she was alive; no one had really mentioned that day and she wasn't about to bring it up. If she had it her way, this entire ordeal would never be mentioned again and she'd get on with her life.

"Buffy," Iba said as they reached Buffy's dormitory door. They never dropped her off at the building entrance; they always dropped her off right off at her door. "There's something I want to ask you."

"You know you can ask me anything," Buffy replied, wondering what this was about.

"I've gotten to know you better over these last couple of weeks," Iba began, taking a deep breath. He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck nervously. "And, well, what I'm trying to say is that I really like the girl I've gotten to know and I'd really like it if we could go out sometime."

"Tetsuzaemon Iba, are you asking me out on a date?" Buffy asked with a teasing smile.

"Well, yeah, I guess I am," Iba replied with a grin, his cheeks a little on the pink side.

"I'd love to go out with you," Buffy replied, rising up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"I'll pick you up, day after tomorrow, say around eight?" Iba suggested.

"Sure, can't wait," Buffy replied with a grin, one that Iba returned. "See you in class tomorrow."

"Right, see you," Iba said before turning and leaving the building, his back straight and a small half smile on his face. Some of the other girls on Buffy's floor had heard a male voice and had stuck their heads out of their dormitories, checking out Iba as he left. Smiling to herself, she turned and went into her own room, sighing happily as she flopped onto her bed.

"You're happy today," Rangiku remarked, looking up from the textbook she was reading. "What's up, did they lock Kurotsuchi up and throw away the key?"

"He got ten years in the Maggot's Nest," Buffy replied. "And I hope I never see him again. But that's not why I'm happy. I got asked out on a date!"

"What, did Icky finally take his head out of his ass and see the amazing woman standing right in front of him?" Rangiku asked.

"Don't call him Icky," Buffy said, rolling her eyes at Rangiku's nickname for Ikkaku. "And no, it wasn't him. Iba asked me out."

"Really?" Rangiku asked. "I thought, you know, you didn't think anything was going to happen between you two."

"I thought so too, but I got to know him and he seems really nice," Buffy replied. "And besides, he isn't intimidated by Yumichika or Ikkaku, which is a huge bonus. I've heard what people have been saying."

"What have people been saying?" Rangiku asked, feigning ignorance.

"Oh please, don't tell me you haven't heard the stuff that's going around," Buffy said with a snort. "Don't even try asking the Ayasegawa girl out, because her brother and the scary bald dude are going to beat the crap out of you if you do."

"They wouldn't actually do that, would they?" Rangiku asked, worried.

"I don't know, the threat of violence alone seems to keep people away," Buffy replied with a shrug.

"And you're not mad about this?" Rangiku asked, curious.

"They haven't gotten up in my face about anybody, so I'm not too worried," Buffy replied with another shrug. "Besides, it's kept all of the creeps away."

"Well, if you're sure," Rangiku said, uncertainly.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Buffy replied, grabbing a book from her bedside table. She really needed to study if she wanted to keep her place in the first class.

"You're not going out with him."

"Pardon?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. The combat class was about to start and Ikkaku had approached her as she had been getting prepared for the lesson.

"Iba. He told me that he had a date with you," Ikkaku clarified.

"So?" Buffy asked.

"You're not going out with him," Ikkaku repeated. "Cancel your date before I have to go and kick his ass."

"Since when are the people I do and do not date any of your damn business?" Buffy asked, a little peeved.

"He's not good enough for you," Ikkaku said, growl in his voice.

"And I suppose you are?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. Ikkaku remained silent. "You have zero right to tell me who I can and cannot date. You are not the boss of me, never have been the boss of me, and never will be the boss of me. You have no claim on me; I'm a free agent."

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Ikkaku said.

"Bit rich coming from you, considering you nearly killed me," Buffy said with a scoff.

"I didn't think I'd have to remind you, but _you_ challenged _me_," Ikkaku said. "And you know I play for keeps."

"Will you go away if I promise that, in the event I do get hurt, I'll pick up the pieces of me all by my lonesome and leave you out of it?" Buffy asked.

"No," Ikkaku said. "I'm not going away. I'm never going away. When all of these guys are gone, you know who's going to be left? Me and Yumichika. We're the only guys that are ever going to stay with you, forever."

"You're beginning to not make any sense," Buffy said, backing away a little. "I think your jealousy is beginning to make you a little crazy, so I'm just gonna go over here and talk to Byakuya and hope you realize how batshit crazy you're being."

Buffy backed away until she reached Byakuya, grabbing onto his arm and dragging him across the room. He was about to let out a protest, but one look at what Buffy was running away from was enough to make him do whatever the diminutive blonde asked him to.

_I really hope Iba is actually alive by tomorrow night,_ Buffy thought, because Ikkaku looked about ready to kill.

**K. So. Here's chapter 16. It's short and not as great as it could be, but I really need to move the story along. It's not going to be too much longer, I don't think… there aren't many major things I need to cover before we get to the big ending. And before any of you ask, NO, I'm not telling you what I'm covering beforehand. There'd be no point in me writing this story if I told you everything before it came up in the story. I do have to say one thing though; the sentencing thing is all me. I couldn't find anything, really, in the Bleach fandom that would fit with what I needed in that scene. If there's a Bleach purist out there who has some unknown source of Bleach knowledge and would be willing to share, that'd be cool. Be advised that I already know about the Bleach Wikia.**

**Anyway, enough with the notes. I hope you enjoyed this instalment and hope that you tell me so. Or, if you didn't, tell me it sucked and how you think I could improve it. Thanks!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The hour of the date had come, along with many protests from Ikkaku, although every time she saw Iba he looked perfectly fine physically. He smiled nervously at her, though, but she chalked that up to Iba being nervous about their date and not the potential ass kicking that might come his way if he put even one toe out of line. She was certain one of the only reasons why Ikkaku hadn't beaten the crap out of Iba was because he knew Buffy would kick his ass even harder if she ever found out. Which wouldn't be too difficult, as Yumichika tells her almost everything.

"Are you nervous?" Rangiku asked as Buffy stood in front of a mirror, putting the last finishing touches on her hair. She couldn't do anything about her clothing – students weren't allowed to have civilian clothing – but that didn't mean her hair and make up couldn't be outstanding. She and Rangiku had been experimenting with hairstyles and make up so it was easy for Buffy to make sure she looked perfect.

"Not really," Buffy replied with a shrug, patting her hair down. "It's Iba. It's not like we haven't hung out alone before."

"But it's a _date_," Rangiku said, waggling her eyebrows. "There's going to be, like, expectations."

"What kind of girl do you think I am?" Buffy asked, turning to Rangiku and arching an eyebrow at her. "'Cause let me tell you, I'm not that kind of girl."

"I know you're not, and I'm pretty sure he knows you're not, but a date means that your friendship is going up to the next level," Rangiku replied. "Are you gonna kiss him?"

"Not like it's any of your business, but I don't know," Buffy replied. "I don't know if Iba will survive if Ikkaku found out we made with the smoochies."

"He really needs to get his jealousy into check. When are you going to kick his ass to make him see your point?" Rangiku asked.

"Violence isn't always the answer," Buffy replied before turning to face Rangiku. "How do I look?"

"When it comes to bald buttheads like him, violence is the only response he seems to understand," Rangiku retorted with a sniff. "And you look fabulous, although I can't wait until we can wear pretty clothes."

"You're telling me," Buffy agreed as there was a knock on the door. Buffy rolled her eyes; Iba was going to get her in trouble with the dorm supervisor if he and the other boys didn't stop coming up to her room. _Like that would actually stop them_, Buffy thought with a rueful smile as she crossed the room and pulled open the door. The smile fell when she saw, not Iba as she had expected, but Ikkaku standing in the hallway, a scowl on his face. "What the hell do you want? I really don't have the time for this."

"So you're really going through with this?" Ikkaku asked.

"Yes, I'm really going through with this, and nothing you can say or do will change my mind," Buffy retorted. She turned to Rangiku. "I'll see you later."

"I want all of the juicy details!" Rangiku shot back as Buffy left, resisting the urge to drag Ikkaku out by his ear, if just barely.

"You're just doing this to make me jealous," Ikkaku said with snort as they made their way through the girl's dormitory building.

"Trust me, I don't have to do anything to bring out that monster possessing you," Buffy retorted, exiting the building with Ikkaku on tow. "Now make with the leaving before I have to make with the ass kicking."

Ikkaku looked like he was about to object, but one look at Buffy's face had him clamping his mouth shut quickly. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she glared right back, as someone approached them. Iba jogged up to his friends, looking from one to the other.

"Whatcha doin' here, Ikkaku?" he asked suspiciously. Buffy was sure Iba was narrowing his eyes at the bald man, but she couldn't be sure because of the ever-present sunglasses.

"Trying to convince me to cancel our date," Buffy retorted for Ikkaku, turning her attention to Iba. "Which, by the way, didn't work. Come on, let's get out of here. I'm sure he can make it home on his own."

"Yeah, sure," Iba said, offering his arm to Buffy while looking at Ikkaku warily. She took the arm, shot one last poisonous glare at Ikkaku and allowed herself to be led away.

"So, what's the plan for tonight?" Buffy asked when they were out of earshot.

"Picnic," Iba replied with a grin, holding up a picnic basket that Buffy hadn't noticed before. "I thought we'd go sit under the cherry trees for a bit before going for a walk."

"Awww, you're a closet romantic," Buffy said with a grin, nudging him a little as they walked.

"Don't spread it around," Iba said, although he was smiling slightly. Buffy was sure that if he had his sunglasses off he would be looking around shiftily. She vowed to herself that she would get his sunglasses off at least once, even if it was one of the last things she did.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," Buffy whispered, nudging him again. Iba smiled slightly at Buffy, and the walk to the cherry trees was done in a comfortable silence.

"Come on, this looks like a good spot," Iba said as he extracted his arm from Buffy's grasp and went about setting up the blanket for the picnic.

"do you need any help with that?" Buffy asked, more than willing to help.

"Nah, I got it. You just stand there and look pretty," Iba replied with a sly grin. Buffy just rolled her eyes and waiting until the picnic was set up. It wasn't a large spread; rice, buns, cakes and some sake.

"Sorry it's not more. I couldn't steal very much from the kitchens," Iba said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as they sat down.

"It's fine. This looks great," Buffy replied with a warm smile, giggling when Iba blushed slightly.

"Thank you," Iba said and they both started serving themselves.

"So, what's your deal?" Buffy asked after taking a bite out of one of the buns. "I mean, you know why I'm here, but you've been making with the silent treatment. So spill."

"You're not allowed to tell anyone, and if anyone else asks me about it I'm going to vehemently deny it," Iba replied.

"Okay, fair enough," Buffy said. "Make with the spillage already."

"I'm doin' this to make my mama proud," Iba replied. "She's kinda disappointed in some of the stuff I've doen and this is my way of trying to make it up to her."

"Why were you embarrassed about that?" Buffy asked, curious.

"Didn't want anyone to think I was a sissy," Iba replied, shifting uncomfortably in his spot. "What about you? Why are you here? Because I'm not buying the 'my bother wanted to come and I tagged along' line."

"Well, that's how it started," Buffy said, and Iba snorted. "What? It is! But then I thought I could do some good around here. 'Cause, you know, I was all with the protecty-ness in my last life. Thought I'd be legit about it this time around."

"Does this have anything to do with the Slayer?" Iba asked, curious. It was Buffy's turn to be uncomfortable.

"Yeah, a bit," Buffy replied. "How do you know about that?"

"Not much, 'cept that it's been thrown around since that incident," Iba replied. They never referred to Kurotsuchi by name if they could help it, and they called Buffy's kidnapping "that incident" or "the incident", and tried to ignore it for the most part.

"Yeah, that's what I was when I was alive," Buffy said. "I got kind of upgraded to keep the world safe and I guess Kurotsuchi wanted to see if I kept any of them when I came here."

"And how the hell did he find out about this?" Iba asked.

"He saw my entrance exam and decided to start following me around. He overheard me and Yumichika talking about it," Buffy replied. "Can we, like, not talk about this anymore? 'Cause that guy really gives me a wiggins and date time is definitely not wiggins time."

"What do you want to talk about, then?" Iba asked.

"As long as we don't talk about my failure in Kido class, I don't care," Buffy replied with a shake of her head.

"Why not?" Iba asked. "It's been ages since you've blown yourself up. Besides, you look kinda cute all covered in soot."

"Cute? _Cute?_" Buffy exclaimed. "I'll show you cute!"

She tackled him and together they rolled around on the grass, laughing, thankfully away from the food. They rolled to a stop, Iba on top. Buffy reached up and took off Iba's sunglasses, noting to herself that they were green, and very pretty.

"You have nice eyes," Buffy commented after they had stared at each other for a few moments. Iba seemed to consider something before he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on Buffy's lips. He pulled back and they stared at each other again. Iba blinked. Buffy met that blink and raised another blink. This wasn't good. The kiss was nice, she supposed, but there was no spark, nothing. She dreaded telling Iba that, but he beat her to it.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Buff, because you're a great girl and everything," he began, but Buffy cut him off before he could finish.

"No spark?" Buffy asked.

"No spark," Iba confirmed as he got up off of Buffy and offered her a hand to help her up. "Well, at least there's one good thing to come out of this."

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Buffy asked once she was on her feet and brushing the dirt off of her behind.

"Ikkaku's not going to want to kick my ass anymore," Iba replied with a grin as he moved to clean up the picnic.

"Oh, he's probably still going to want to kick your ass," Buffy said, helping him tidy up. "He's like a kid with a shiny toy and he really doesn't like to share."

"Well, he has one less reason to kick my ass, then," Iba retorted. "At least I'm not going to have him glaring at me all the time."

"Lucky you," Buffy said with a grimace. "I still have to deal with his jealous ranting, raving and raging."

"I'll try to help keep him in line, if you want," Iba suggested, grabbing the blanket as Buffy grabbed the picnic basket. She handed Iba his sunglasses back and he promptly put them back on.

"You can try," Buffy agreed, although she didn't think Iba would be successful on his own. However, if he teamed up with Yumichika the two of them would probably be able to keep Ikkaku off of her back. The only downside of this would be that she now possibly had three overprotective big brother types. She seemed to accumulate them, now that she thought about it.

A comfortable silence descended on the pair of Shinigami students as they walked back to Buffy's dormitory. When they arrived, Buffy tried to give the picnic basket back to Iba, but he would have none of it.

"Keep it," he said. "Have a girl's night in with Rangiku or something."

"The sake too?" Buffy asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"The sake too, but it's not gonna be a regular thing," Iba replied. Buffy carefully set the picnic basket down onto the ground before she wrapped her arms around his neck, rising onto her tiptoes to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. "What was that for? Not like I'm complainin' or nothin'."

"Being a good friend comes to mind," Buffy replied. "Thank you."

"And this has nothing to do with the food and the sake?" Iba asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, that might be part of it," Buffy replied, sounding a little sheepish. "After all, a fed Slayer is a happy Slayer."

"You're going to have to tell me about this Slayer thing one day," Iba remarked pointedly.

"Sure," Buffy replied. "And hopefully that day will come when we're so old, grey and forgetful that you can't remember asking me about it and I forgot about being the Slayer at all."

"Good night, Buffy," Iba said with a chuckle, stooping slightly to peck Buffy on the cheek.

"'Night," Buffy echoed, picking up the picnic basket as Iba turned to leave. With one last smile and a wave, Iba left for his dormitory and Buffy headed to her room without looking back.

If she had, she would have seen a figure jump out of the bushes and tackle Iba to the ground.

Practically skipping up to her room, Buffy burst in on Rangiku, who was sprawled out on her bed with her homework spread out around her. She looked up at Buffy, surprised to see her room mate.

"You're back kind of early," she said, sitting up. "Did everything go okay?"

"Yes and no," Buffy replied, placing the basket on the bed before flopping down next to it. "The date was fun, we kissed, but there were no sparks."

"None?" Rangiku asked. Buffy shook her head. "Harsh. What's in the basket?"

"Present from Iba," Buffy replied. "Leftovers from the picnic. We never did get into sake. He told us to have a girlie night in."

"Far be it for me to disobey an upperclassman," Rangiku said, abandoning her homework and sliding to the floor, grabbing a pillow on the way down so that she had something to sit on. Buffy joined her, placing the basket in between them. "So there were no sparks? Like, none at all?"

"Nope," Buffy replied, shaking her head for emphasis. "It kind of sucks, but at least we can stay friends."

"You know, this kind of blows any case you have against there being nothing between you and Icky," Rangiku said as she went straight for the sake.

"There's nothing between me and Ikkaku," Buffy replied quickly.

"Oh please, there's so much tension between you two that we're all expecting you to jump each other any minute," Rangiku said with a snort. "It's only a matter of time before you two realize what everyone else has figured out already."

"Brat," Buffy said, using her Slayer spend to tackle Rangiku to the floor. Shrieking and giggling, they rolled around on the floor in a tickle fight until they were to exhausted to continue, at which time they collapsed and went about making their way through the picnic basket, including the sake.

The next time Buffy saw Iba, it was the first class after the weekend. From a distance he looked normaly, but as Buffy drew closer she noticed that she was holding himself as if he were injured, and she could have sworn she saw the hint of a black eye, but unless she got the sunglasses off of him she couldn't be sure.

"Please tell me Ikkaku didn't do that," Buffy said by way of greeting. She did not want to start off her week with an ass kicking, especially when her weekend had gone so well.

"Okay, Ikkaku didn't do this," Iba replied, although he had averted his gaze, despite the fact that he was wearing his sunglasses. This definitely tipped Buffy off. She heard Ikkaku's laugh from somewhere behind her. Whirling around, she stalked over to where he was speaking to Yumichika. He stopped speaking in mid-sentence, transfixed as the tiniest person in the first class marched up to him with a homicidal expression on her face. No words were spoken before Buffy pulled back her fist and let it fly, hitting him in the jaw and knocking him to the ground. Before he could get up, Buffy placed a foot on his chest, preventing him from doing so.

"What the hell have I told you about staying out of my love life?" she growled, oblivious to the stares of her classmates. She checked him over quickly for injuries; he was breathing as if he were in pain, and she knew that she wasn't pressing down on his chest that hard. She spotted a few bruises, but no black eyes, and the way she was breathing it looked like he had bruised ribs or something.

"Buffy, it's not what it looks like," Iba said, coming up beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her.

"You look like you've got the crap beaten out of you and Ikkaku isn't looking much better," Buffy retorted, whirling around to glare at him. "You'd better make with the 'splainy or I'm gonna go all crazy blonde girl on his ass."

She crossed her arms and arched her eyebrow at him while tapping the foot that was not holding Ikkaku down. She knew that Ikkaku would easily be able to get up if he were so inclined, but she supposed that one glare from her would keep him on the ground as long as she needed him to be there.

"I'm waiting."

"He jumped me, we fought, we talked and things are okay now," Iba said with a shrug. "Back me up, Ikkaku."

"Yeah, that's pretty much what happened," Ikkaku agreed with a nod. "Though I did get you pretty good, huh?"

"I gave as good as I got," Iba retorted. "Could you let him up now? You're kinda attracting attention."

Buffy glanced around and, sure enough, the other people in their class had gathered around and were staring at her like she was crazy. Smiling sheepishly, she removed her foot from Ikkaku's chest and offered a hand to help him up.

"Damn right you should help me up," Ikkaku said, taking her hand and allowing her to help him up. As soon as he was on his feet, Buffy punched him, hard, on the arm. "What the hell was that for, woman?"

"I'm still mad at you," Buffy retorted with another glare. "You and I are going to have a nice, long talk about what kind of overprotecty-ness is okay and what isn't."

"Yumichika, save me!" Ikkaku said dramatically, hiding behind the shorter man.

"I told you this was going to happen," Yumichika said matter-of-factly. "You're on your own."

Ikkaku whimpered uncharacteristically as Buffy turned and stalked into the classroom, the rest of the students giving her a wide berth. Byakuya looked terrified when he saw the expression on her face, and anyone who had seen the scene before class couldn't blame him. No one wanted to be in Byakuya's shoes that day.

"Iba, can we switch partners today?" Buffy asked. He looked hesitant until Buffy's lower lip started to inch out in a pout. "Please?"

"Oh come on, you know that pout is lethal to almost any man who has to deal with it," Iba said with a groan, shaking his head. "Fine, but you're the one who has to clear it with Chiba-san."

"Fine, I'll go do that now," Buffy replied before practically skipping over to the hulking instructor. She grinned up at him, hoping that her plan would work. "Good morning, Chiba-san, how are you this morning?"

"Cut to the chase, Ayasegawa," Chiba rumbled, looking down at the tiny blonde woman standing next to him. "What do you want?"

"I was wondering if Iba and I could trade partners today," Buffy replied hopefully.

"Why the hell would you wanna do something like that?" Chiba asked, arching an eyebrow. He knew that she was friends with the bald hothead, buy he honestly didn't think she would be on par with him.

"I want a challenge," Buffy replied. Chiba's eyebrow arched higher as he crossed his arms across his chest and regarded Buffy with a sceptical look. She sighed, knowing that she would have to tell the truth if she wanted a crack at Ikkaku. "Okay, I'm pissed off and I need to let off steam. Byakuya looks like he's about to pee himself if he has to spar with me today. I think Ikkaku might be able to handle pissed off Buffy throwing around, you know?"

Chiba looked pensive for a few moments, stroking his chin as he thought. Every moment of silence that passed decreased Buffy's hope until he finally brought his gaze back to her.

"Okay, I'll let you do it for today," Chiba said carefully. "But if you get your ass handed to you, don't blame me."

"Not gonna," Buffy replied. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Chiba said, shaking his head as Buffy skipped back to Iba with a smile on her face. "It's all settled. You get to relax with Byakuya today and I get to have a talk with Ikkaku. And oh God, the whole relaxing thing didn't sound so gay in my head. Not that being gay is a bad thing, of course."

"Buffy?" Iba said, cutting Buffy off.

"Yeah?"

"Breathe."

"Breathing, breathing," Buffy said, surveying the rest of the students. Byakuya looked more than a little relieved; he must have overheard her conversation with Chiba. Ikkaku, on the other hand, tried to hide in the corner of the room and was using Yumichika as a rather flimsy shield as she made her way over to him.

"Please, don't tell me you're scared of lil' ol' me," Buffy said, arching an eyebrow.

"You've never seen yourself in a mirror when you're pissed off," Ikkaku retorted. "I finally understand why vampires are scared shitless of you."

"I'm not going to slay you," Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "I just want to have a little chat with you. Maybe with a little fisting action." She stopped for a moment, letting the words sink in a bit before a horrified expression crossed her face. "Oh God, that didn't sound so wrong in my head."

Both Yumichika and Ikkaku started cracking up; Buffy crossed her arms and pouted. Leaning on each other, they laughed so hard and probably would have started crying if Buffy hadn't smacked them both on the back of the head.

"What the hell was that for?" Ikkaku asked with a glare, rubbing the back of his head. "I know you hit me harder than Yumichika."

"You weren't going to shut up if I didn't do anything about it," Buffy replied with a shrug. "God, when did I get so violent? You two are a bad influence on me."

"Then maybe you should stop hanging around us so much," Ikkaku retorted.

"Sorry, you guys are stuck with me," Buffy replied, hugging his arm because she knew that if she tried for more contact he might freak out a little. As it were, he was beginning to try and pull himself away, which caused Buffy to squeeze his arm harder.

"As much as I enjoy seeing Ikkaku uncomfortable, you might want to let him go," Yumichika suggested gently. "You might break his arm, and then I'll have to act as his nursemaid until he gets better."

"Come on, I'm not holding on that hard," Buffy said, looking up at Ikkaku. She released his arm quickly when she realized that his face had been contorted in pain. "Crap, I'm so sorry! I guess I still don't know my own strength."

"And another reason why I'm regretting the whole being overprotective thing," Ikkaku said with a grimace as he flexed his arm. "You can easily take care of yourself."

"Well, duh," Buffy retorted, rolling her eyes. "If it only took nearly breaking your arm to prove to you that I can take care of myself, both mentally and physically, I would have done that ages ago!"

"Does this mean I'm off the hook with the whole discussions with fists thing?" Ikkaku asked, before wrinkling his nose. "You think we're the bad influence? I'm talking like you now! Next thing you know, I'm going to be playing the dumb blonde act like a pro. But still… am I off the hook?"

"Not a chance, Ikkaku."

"Damn."

**There's chapter 17, people. I am sad to say, but there isn't a whole lot more story in this fic. Five chapters, at most, and then I'll start editing/posting the sequel soon after completing this because I'm nearly 50k into the sequel now. It **_**was **_**over 50k, but I forgot to save and lost 2,000 words. Made me cry :'(.**

**Anyway, as always, I'd appreciate feedback, no matter how positive or negative it is. Thanks for reading.**


	18. Chapter 18

**READ THIS: Hey guys and gals. This chapter is kind of a bridge chapter, if you will. It's a collection of scenes to "bridge" the period between Kurotsuchi's sentencing and the next bit of story. Hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 18

Ikkaku, Yumichika, Iba and Gin were, strangely enough, all in their room, on their beds, studying. It was an odd occurrence; it was quite rare to have all four of them together in the same place at the same time. Three of them, sure, but Gin seemed to be the odd man out most of the time. It could have been his youth, it could have been his inherent creepiness. Whatever it was, it made it so that he was alone while the other three were thick as thieves.

It was on this afternoon of rare room mate togetherness when it happened. With no warning, their dormitory door banged open and framed in the doorway was a tiny blonde that was a rather prominent fixture in their lives. Usually, she was quite happy and bubbly, if a little annoyed at one of them in particular, but that wasn't the case that day.

That day, she looked positively livid. Her eyes practically glowed with her anger.

"What the _hell _were you thinking?" she snarled, pointing an accusatory finger at Ikkaku. He stared back in quiet defiance, quite used to Buffy ranting, raving and being generally pissed off at him.

"You're going to have to be more specific, Buff," he replied with a slight smirk as Buffy crossed the room to stand in front of him. "I've done a lot of stupid shit lately. Refresh my memory?"

"You. Messing. With. My. Love. Life. Again!" Buffy exclaimed, poking him in the chest between each word. With Ikkaku sitting down, she was actually taller than him and it was rather strange for them to have their roles reversed. "What the hell? Do you want me to break your jaw again?"

"How do you know it was me?" Ikkaku asked, arching an eyebrow. "It could have been Yumichika or Iba. Hell, even that crazy chick you sleep with seems overprotective of you. Or hey, Byakuya could have done it. Kid follows you around like a puppy."

A glare from Buffy stopped the other three males in the room to snicker at Ikkaku's comment, which they likely would have done if not faced with a homicidal looking blonde woman who could easily kick their asses.

"I don't sleep with her, we share a room. There's a big difference," Buffy said, rolling her eyes, wondering how much of an outrage she'd stir up if she'd used that phrasing in reference to them. Choking down a giggle at the imagery, she made sure her glare was back in place before continuing. "And I _know _it was you because you're the only person out of all of them who would corner them and chase them off by kicking their ass."

Buffy was seething. Not only was this the first decent sounding guy to speak to her since her little display the last time Ikkaku had meddled in her love life, he was the _only_ guy outside of her little circle to speak to her after that display. Turns out, she was rather scary when angered and no one really wanted to set that off.

"You're obviously not man enough to realize that you're attracted to me," Buffy continued, on a roll.

"What?" Ikkaku exclaimed, but Buffy continued as if she hadn't heard him.

"Whether or not you want to bone me, until you man up and realize that fact you have _no right_ to go anywhere near anyone who has any inkling to ask me out," Buffy snarled. "_Stay the hell out!_"

She turned and slammed the door shut before stalking down the corridor on her way out. She stopped when she heard the door open and close quietly. She turned to see, not Ikkaku, but Yumichika.

"He had a good reason to do what he did," he said quietly, closing the distance between them.

"Is he finally going to get off his ass?" Buffy asked.

"You know he has a hard time admitting feelings," Yumichika said with a fond smile. "And how do you even know he's attracted to _you_? Is there something you want to tell me?"

"I don't know," Buffy replied. "I thought it would rattle him or something. I'm good with the, you know, rattling."

"I think it might take more than a pissed off blonde to rattle him," Yumichika said.

"So, what's the excuse this time?" Buffy asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Well, it was Akimoto Atsushi that asked you out, wasn't it?" Yumichika asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Buffy replied warily. "Why? He seemed okay."

"Sure, he _seems_ okay," Yumichika said. "But he's been talking. A lot. About stuff that he wanted to do to you. Awful stuff that no woman should be put through."

"Oh," Buffy said, her voice small.

"Yeah, oh," Yumichika said. "I told you, he had a good reason to kick his ass. I only regret that he got to him first."

"Huh," Buffy said. "So, the overviolent butthole actually cares."

"Yeah, but don't spread it around," Yumichika said conspiratorially.

"Secret's safe with me," Buffy replied, dragging her fingers across her lips as if zipping them shut.

xoxoxo

The class was lined up in front of targets. This particular lesson was to be used for offensive Kido target practice, and so far it wasn't going too well for Buffy. She couldn't seem to get the power up for one measly fire ball spell, not one.

"Maybe you should try the full incantation, Ayasegawa," Ayame suggested as she walked by Buffy, noticing that she was having problems. "I always find that going back to the basics helps when I'm trying to get that one spell down."

Buffy sighed and held out her hand in front of her, perfectly still. Closing her eyes, she began chanting, voice soft but clear.

"_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Shakkaho!"_

KA-BOOM!

The entire class looked at her, some snickering at what they saw. Instead of a perfectly formed fire ball hitting the target, the spell had backfired and blown up in Buffy's face, literally. She was covered head to foot in soot, and Buffy was certain that she had a couple of burns, even if she couldn't feel them. A bark of laughter drew her attention and surprise, surprise, Ikkaku was doubled over and laughing so hard that tears were running down his cheeks. She stalked over to him and he stopped laughing instantly, looking at him apprehensively.

"I'd like to see you do better, Ikkaku," Buffy said, irritated. He gulped before turning and facing the target, concentrating hard before saying the incantation.

KA-BOOM!

Now, it was Buffy's turn to laugh, giggling like mad now that she and Ikkaku matched. He took that opportunity to tackle her to the ground. Rolling around in the grass, they were completely disrupting the class as everyone was paying attention to their fight and not their spells. It wasn't until Ayame split them up, using Kido to bind them.

"I've never had two more disruptive students," she said, all motherly advice and affection gone. She released the Kido on them. "Get out and don't come back until you can get along."

Grumbling, they both got to their feet and left the Kido training grounds, glaring at each other.

"It was totally your fault," Buffy said when she thought they were out of earshot.

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too.!"

"ENOUGH! _GET OUT!"_

xoxoxo

"Come _on_," Rangiku said with a slight whine, dragging Buffy to the student sign up board. "If we don't sign up now we're not going to get a seat! We're gonna have to sit out in the hallway, and that's gonna suck!"

"You're joking, right?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. "I can't see how a freakin' calligraphy class could be this popular."

"But it's taught by taught by Vice Captain Souske Aizen of the Fifth Division!" Rangiku exclaimed excitedly. "Have you _seen _him? He's got that geeky sexy thing going on. And he's so nice, apparently. Not at all stuck up like some of the other higher ups."

"You're signing up for a _calligraphy class_ because some hot guy teaches it?" Buffy asked. She rolled her eyes. "Somehow, I'm not surprised. Let me guess, most of the people in this class are girls?"

"Maybe," Rangiku replied. "And why aren't you surprised?"

"Hel-_lo_, you're all with the boy craziness," Buffy said with a snort. "You're just damn lucky you don't have an army of overprotective guys keeping you away from the boys."

"So, will you sign up with me?" Rangiku said. "I don't want to do this alone, and you know Gin isn't going to do this with me."

"Fine," Buffy replied, scribbling her name on the class list. She saw that there were at least twenty five other names before hers, and Rangiku had told her that the sign up sheet had been put up just that morning.

A couple of days later the class began. Even though they were early, there were people already milling around the classroom. All of them girls, most of them in higher classes than Buffy and Rangiku. When the door opened, Rangiku, being a bit taller than most of the other girls, elbowed her way into the portion of the crowd that was sure to get seats. All Buffy had to do was stay in her wake to make sure she didn't get lost.

"Come on, we'll sit over here," Rangiku said, striding up the risers until they found the middle seats in the middle row. "See, perfect view, even for you."

"You did _not _just make a short joke," Buffy grumbled as she got out her paper, brushes and ink as the rest of the class settled around them.

"Not directly," Rangiku replied cheerfully as she followed Buffy's lead. Buffy stuck her tongue out at her taller friend as the class went silent.

Vice Captain Souske Aizen had arrived.

He panned the room with his eyes, taking in his students for this particular class. Buffy took the opportunity to look him up and down. He was wearing the standard black Shinigami uniform with an armband on his arm, much like Hiyori Sarugaki of the Twelfth Division had when she had sat in on Buffy's testimony. He was tall, with brown hair, brown eyes and glasses. He did, as Rangiku had said, have the sort of geeky sexy thing going on. As Buffy tried to figure him out, his gaze locked on hers.

"Oh," Buffy said softly, surprised at the jolt of power that rushed through her. It was as if he were looking into her very soul, and she wondered what he saw there. He seemed almost perplexed as he regarded her for a few moments before he turned his attention to the rest of the class, beginning his lecture as if nothing had happened.

"See, I told you he was geeky sexy," Rangiku whispered in her ear excitedly.

"Yeah. Yeah," Buffy said absently, a little dazed. That jolt of power, that feeling of having her soul searched, would haunt her for a good long while.

xoxoxo

"Welcome to the Second Division."

Buffy looked up at the grand doors before her. This wasn't the first squad headquarters she'd been to. She'd seen both the Twelfth Division (which she hoped never to see again) and the Sixth Division when she was with Byakuya and he'd had to find his father.

The Second Division, however, was by far one of the best looking.

"Come on Buffy, let me show you around," Yoruichi said, grabbing Buffy gently by the arm as she led her into the headquarters. There were people around, there were always people around in squad headquarters, some dressed in the standard Shinigami uniform and others were dressed like classic ninjas. "The Onmitsukido," Yoruichi explained when she saw Buffy staring at the people dressed like ninjas. "The Covert Ops, you could say. The head of the Shihoin family is usually the head of the Onmitsukido. It's just luck that I ended up captain of the Second Division as well."

"Ah," Buffy said, not really sure what else to say. She wondered why Yoruichi had invited her to see the Second Division, and she still didn't have her question answered. She knew that some squads personally recruited certain students, and while she and Yoruichi had a careful friendship due to their connection with Byakuya, it was a little early for her to be recruited to a squad, right? She was only in second year, after all, even if she was in the first class.

"Oh hey, look, it's Kisuke!" Yoruichi said, dragging Buffy to a young looking blond man wearing the standard Shinigami uniform. "Buffy, I'd like you to meet Kisuke Urahara, my Third Seat and head of the Detention Corps of the Onmitsukido and a very old friend of mine. Kisuke, this is Buffy Ayasegawa."

"Always great to meet Yoruichi's friends," Kisuke said with a grin and a wave, his cheeks turning a little pink.

"Nice to meet you," Buffy returned with a smile.

"Here, let me give you a tour," Yoruichi said before turning to Kisuke. "Would you like to join us?"

"Sure!" Kisuke replied. "I need to check in with the guards at the Nest of Maggots later, but until then I'm free."

"Uh before we start on a long walk, could you maybe point me in the direction of the little girl's room?" Buffy asked, a little sheepish.

"Sure, down the hall, second door to the right," Yoruichi replied, pointing. "We'll be waiting here when you get back."

"Thanks so much," Buffy replied, before turning and rushing down the hallway. She went into the bathroom, did her business and exited as quickly as she could. She exited and headed back to where Yoruichi and Kisuke said they would be waiting, but to her surprise they weren't there. She looked around, hoping that they had just wandered off a short distance to deal with some higher up squad thing. She thought she saw Kisuke's blond head and was about to go over and see if it was him when a small woman stepped in front of her.

This woman was definitely small, shorter than Buffy even, and had a very slight build. She had chin length hair and was dressed in the ninja uniform Buffy had seen earlier, only without the face mask or the head covering.

"What business do you have here?" she asked. Her voice was businesslike, neither polite nor outwardly rude, although it was obvious to Buffy that this woman didn't think she belonged here at all.

"Yoruichi brought me here to show me around," Buffy replied. "Why, I have no clue."

Before she knew it, she was up against the wall with a forearm on her throat. The tiny ninja woman was glaring up at her with such loathing and Buffy wondered what the hell she had said to anger her so.

"You are to treat Yoruichi-sama with respect," she said through clenched teeth. "You do not have the position or standing to speak to Yoruichi-sama so informally."

"Buffy, I can't leave you alone for five minutes, can I?" Yoruichi said with a laugh as she spotted the two small women together. "Let her go, Soifon, she means no harm."

The small ninja woman, Soifon, let Buffy go, although she still looked at Buffy with loathing. She turned on her heel and stalked off, colour high on her cheeks.

"Who was that?" Buffy asked, rubbing her neck. The woman was strong and would probably have crushed her windpipe if she had fought back.

"Soifon," Yoruichi replied. "One of my personal bodyguards. Makes it her personal mission to make sure everyone treats me with the respect she believes I deserve."

"Do I have to call you Yoruichi-sama now?" Buffy asked with a smirk.

"Only when Soifon's in earshot, unless you want that to happen once again," Yoruichi replied, gesturing to Buffy's throat. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I've had worse," Buffy replied, thinking of all the times she had been bitten by vampires, choked by demons and had freakin' _died_. "So, how about that tour, huh?"

xoxoxo

She was supposed to be meeting Yumichika outside of his dormitory building; they were supposed to be spending some time with each other, having neglected their sibling time in the last few weeks. Sighing, she knew he was late. Tired of waiting for him, she turned and entered the building. She was there so often now that she never really turned heads when other occupants of the dormitory anymore. She climbed the stairs to Yumichika's room, opening the door without knocking. The guys knew by now to keep at least a pair of pants on at all times in the off chance she dropped by unannounced.

However, Yumichika wasn't in the room. Neither were Ikkaku nor Iba. The only person in the room was a small, silver haired boy. Gin Ichimaru.

They regarded each other for a few moments. Buffy had never been alone in a room with him before; she made a conscious effort to because the kid creeped her out. She was glad Rangiku didn't hang out with him in their room, although she knew they were really good friends. As he regarded her now, she fought the urge to run away and never come back to this room.

"Uh hi," she said awkwardly. "You haven't seen Yumichika, haven't you?"

"Nah, sorry Buffy," Gin replied, creepy smile on his face. "Saw him leave a couple of minutes ago."

"All right, I'll just make with the going now," Buffy said, gesturing weakly to the door behind her.

"Hey, Buffy," Gin said as she turned to leave. "Ya don't like me much, do ya?"

"I don't know you well enough to like or dislike you," Buffy replied, lying through her teeth. Gin stared at her for a few moments, and as she left she got the feeling that he could see right through her lie.

xoxoxo

The exams were finished, everyone had passed everything with flying colours and the party was in full swing. The sake was endless, the conversation was flowing and it was the first time that all of them were completely relaxed. Rangiku had ditched Buffy ages ago and was chatting (making out) with a nice looking upperclassman in an out of the way corner of the room. Grumbling to herself, she spotted Ikkaku sitting by himself. Smirking slightly to herself, she crossed the room, cup of sake in one hand.

"What are you doing here all by your lonesome?" Buffy asked, trailing her fingers across the back of his neck before she sat down next to him. She'd had enough to drink that she was a little more open and flirty, but not so much that she didn't know what she was doing.

"What are you doing here?" he asked sullenly, taking a long pull from his glass. "Shouldn't you be off giggling with Rangiku or something?"

"She ditched me for a dude," Buffy replied, gesturing to the corner where they were canoodling. "Wonder what the hell happened to chicks before dicks."

Ikkaku looked at her strangely and before Buffy could react, his lips crashed onto hers. It was a battle of lips, teeth and tongue, a year of frustration between the two of them being hashed out with their lips. His fingers in her hair, hers massaging his scalp. Somehow, between Buffy nibbling in Ikkaku's earlobes and Ikkaku attacking Buffy's neck with his lips, they ended upstairs, in his bed. Together.

The next morning Buffy woke up with a pounding headache and squished onto a single bed with someone she really ought not be in a bed with. Groaning, she stirred, jumping out of the bed when Ikkaku began to stir.

"What are you doing here?" Ikkaku asked, glaring at her.

"What am _I _doing here?" Buffy retorted, eyes narrowed. "What the hell do you mean, what am I doing here? _You're _the one that carried me up here!"

"Yeah, right, like I'd do that," Ikkaku retorted with a snort. "More like you begged me. You've wanted me since the moment you met me."

"You started it! You lip raped me," Buffy shot back. "And the only thing I've wanted to do since I've met you is give you a sound ass kicking."

"It's not rape if both parties are willing. I don't remember you pushing me away," Ikkaku said. "And like you could."

"I so totally could," Buffy retorted. "And you still started it."

"I was drunk," Ikkaku replied. "Yeah, we were drunk. We can blame that."

"Sure, yeah, sounds good," Buffy said. "We never mention it again?"

"Agreed."

xoxoxo

**So, that's chapter 18. It's kind of bad, but I needed **_**something **_**to bridge the two main plot points, and this is the only way I thought I could think of to do it without it being too jarring. I can see five chapters, maximum, before this fic can be marked as completed. The sequel might take a while; while I do have a lot of it already written, I'm going to have to edit and rearrange a lot of it to fit it around all of the other stuff I've included in here.**

**Anyway, as sucky as it is I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Hope to get something up pretty soon, seeing as I want to finish this off before I start NaNo this year.**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

_Beginning of Third Year_

It was a beautiful fall afternoon in Seiretei. The birds were singing, the sun shone bright and the streets were bustling with people. Two of those people were Buffy and Yumichika, spending some much needed sibling bonding time. Strolling arm and arm through the streets, browsing but not buying because they were still flat broke, they just enjoyed each other's company for the time being.

"I can't believe we're in third year already," Buffy said. "I mean, where has the time gone?"

"I'm surprised you lived long enough to make it to third year," Yumichika replied. "I mean, with the kidnapping, and the blowing yourself up, and the getting into fights with people bigger than you are. You're just lucky nothing's happened to that pretty face of yours."

"Yes, I know, you'd disown me and abandon me if I let anything happen to all this," Buffy retorted, pointing at her face.

"I wouldn't disown you or abandon you if you got ugly. I mean, I might not acknowledge your existence in public if that were to happen, but you'd still be my sister," Yumichika said.

"Has anyone reminded you lately of how incredibly shallow you are?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. Anyone overhearing their conversation might think they had a strange relationship, and they did, really. But Buffy knew he didn't mean what he was saying. Most of the time, anyway.

"Not lately, but I always like to be reminded," Yumichika replied pompously. Buffy laughed, but the laughter was short lived when she heard a voice she hoped she would never hear again.

It was a voice that still haunted her nightmares, taunted her when she closed her eyes even though it had been over a year and a half since she had heard it or seen its owner. Mayuri Kurotsuchi was nearby, she could feel it. It was a cold, creepy sensation, and she looked around, trying to find him just so that she knew which direction to run.

The shock of blue hair was hard to miss, and neither were the blonde heads that were with him. She had heard Kisuke Urahara had been promoted to captain of the Twelfth Division, and evidently the lieutenant of that squad was still Hiyori Sarugaki, who had heard her testify against Kurotsuchi. And yet there all three of them were, walking towards them in the middle of the Seiretei streets. Kurotsuchi wasn't even in shackles or anything. Surely, he hadn't been released yet?

"Buffy-chan, what's the matter?" Yumichika asked, looking down at her in concern.

"Please tell me that this is just a nightmare and I'm going to wake up any second now," Buffy said quietly, pinching herself. She didn't wake up and the scene didn't dissipate, so she pinched herself again. And again. And again. If Yumichika hadn't grabbed her hand, she would have continued to pinch herself until her arm was stinging and swollen.

"It's a waking nightmare," Yumichika replied, drawing Buffy to his side. She wasn't going to get snatched, not this time, if he could help it.

It would have been fine if the three apparent members of the Twelfth Division had just passed them by, but that would have been too easy. Kisuke had spotted Buffy quickly and, with a wide grin, waved them over.

"Hi there!" he greeted, heading over to where Yumichika and Buffy were standing. Yumichika's arm tightened around her waist, and Buffy took a small amount of comfort from that gesture. She fought the urge to run like hell as Kurotsuchi got closer. "What's the matter, Buffy?"

"What's he doing out of jail?" Buffy asked, indicating to Kurotsuchi while simultaneously trying to hide behind Yumichika. She knew, subconsciously, that she was being ridiculous, because there was no way he would try to kidnap her with all of these people around. However, some of the other things he had done had come to light in the almost two years since he had been imprisoned, and she really had every right to be scared out of her wits around him.

"I needed someone to head up my new Research and Development division," Kisuke replied. "He has a scientific mind and while his methods were a little, er, unorthodox, the breakthroughs he made more than make up for it. Besides, he's promised to not use any of his old methods. Isn't that right, Kurotsuchi-san?"

"Yes, sir," Kurotsuchi replied, although Buffy didn't believe him for a second. There was something about the smile on his face that made her believe that as soon as he got rid of Kisuke, his old methods would be back in place lickety split.

"You do know why he was locked up in the first place, don't you?" Buffy asked. "I mean, being head of the Detention Unit and everything, you must have been aware of his crimes."

"I only knew that he was in jail because he was deemed a threat to himself and Seiretei," Kisuke replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "They don't give me any more details than that."

"You want to know why he got locked up in the first place?" Buffy asked. She extracted herself from Yumichika's grasp, but he didn't let her go far; his hand latched onto her wrist so that he could pull her back if she got out of hand, even though most of the time the sight of his tiny sister schooling men much larger than her was a very amusing sight. However, this particular man was a captain, there with his lieutenant and one of his seated division members. It was not a good time to let Rampaging Buffy loose on the world.

"I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway," Kisuke replied nervously.

"He kidnapped me," Buffy replied, poking Kisuke in the chest. "You wanna know why he kidnapped me? So that he could observe and experiment on me. He tied me up, injected me with something and watched as I fought my way out of my restraints with a bloodthirsty beast known as a vampire attacked me. I was damn lucky to get out alive, thanks to my friends."

She had been poking him in the chest, hard, during her little speech. She was about to do it once more when she was hit in the side of her head with a… shoe? She turned, rubbing her head, and saw Hiyori glaring at her, holding her shoe in her hand.

"That's my captain, you stupid cow," she said with a glare. "If anyone's going to beat on him, it's me."

"Come on Buffy, let's just go," Yumichika said, tugging gently on Buffy's arm. She blinked and turned her attention to him, averting her gaze from the practically poisonous glare from the tinier blonde woman.

"Yeah, yeah, that might be a good idea," Buffy replied, allowing herself to be led away from the threesome. She glanced over her shoulder as they walked away, focusing on Kurotsuchi as she did so. The expression on his face was intense, and she really didn't like it.

Yumichika did not, as she had expected, taken her back to her dormitory and left in the care of Rangiku, which was more often than not the plan of action. Instead, he took her to his dormitory, the one he still shared with Ikkaku, Iba and Gin.

They had found that the taller girl was very good at keeping Buffy calm, which kept the boys happy. Even though they had been around and friends with Buffy and Rangiku for over two years, they still panicked and flailed when the tears started. There was also the fact that Gin creeped Buffy out and refused to be left in a room alone with him, but they didn't like to talk about that.

"What the hell are you doing, barging in here with her?" Ikkaku asked, sitting up when the door banged open, admitting Yumichika and Buffy.

"Like you'd ever have a girl in here," Yumichika scoffed with a roll of his eyes. He didn't miss Ikkaku looking away, nor how Buffy's cheeks began to redden, but considering they had a much more pressing matter to attend to he decided to ignore it for the time being. "We have a problem."

"What, another guy stand you up?" Ikkaku asked with a snort.

"They only stand me up because of you," Buffy retorted.

"Guys, do me a huge favour and shut up," Yumichika said, rubbing his temples. Both Buffy and Ikkaku were shocked at Yumichika's less than polite demand that they remained quiet long enough for him to get through what he wanted to say. "Now, as I said, we have a problem. A big problem. Kurotsuchi has been let out of jail."

"Well, they're searching for him right?" Ikkaku asked. He was sitting up straighter now, ready to spring into action. "He's not going to be out for long, not with the Shinigami after him."

"He hasn't broken out, he was _let _out," Yumichika corrected. "By the new Twelfth Division captain."

"Who the hell would do a stupid thing like that?" Ikkaku growled, glancing over at Buffy. While the blonde woman annoyed the hell out of him most of the time, they'd been through everything together. He'd seen what that bastard had done to her, how wary and clingy she'd been for months after her attack, and it hadn't sat well with him at all. She was one of the strongest, most independent women he knew and seeing her reduced to a skittish waif of a girl, hiding behind her friends, had really thrown him. If he could prevent that from happening again, he would.

"Kisuke Urahara, apparently," Buffy replied, spitting the name as if it had been a disgusting swear word. The news of what had happened had been all over the squads and the academy; how could he not have known? Granted, most of the time she wasn't mentioned by name, but all of the captains knew exactly what had happened, and his best friend was a captain. Surely Yoruichi had told Kisuke what had happened?

"Said he needed a scientific mind to head up his new research and development division," Yumichika said with a scowl. "You'd think he'd do background checks on his potential candidates, but no."

"Well, we gotta do something," Ikkaku said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"No."

Both Yumichika and Ikkaku looked at Buffy in surprise. Out of all of them, they thought she would be the one who wanted retribution the most. After all, she had been the one who had been wronged. But no, she was sitting on Yumichika's bed with a determined expression, one that reminded them of the descriptions of Willow's "Resolve Face".

"No?" Yumichika asked. "What do you mean, 'no'?"

"I mean, no, you're not going to go and do anything to him," Buffy clarified. "Who has the biggest grudge against him? You do. Who would want to hurt him the most? You do. Who would be accused of any attack on him? You guys would. I'm sorry, but you're not risking your careers in the Gotei 13 for me. I can't let that happen. I… I… I need you guys. I can't do this alone."

"So you're admitting you need me?" Ikkaku asked with a sly grin.

"Now is not the time, Ikkaku," Yumichika said with a sigh. "We're not going to do anything now. Right, Ikkaku?"

"Right," Ikkaku said sullenly, but the two men shared a look. Buffy didn't like it.

"If you guys are going to plan something behind my back, I swear on everything that is good and holy that I will kick your asses so hard your grandchildren will feel it," Buffy said, her eyes narrowed.

"Come on, let's get you home," Yumichika said, reaching out a hand to help Buffy off of the bed. With a sigh, she accepted it and together they left, no more mention of Kurotsuchi during their silent walk back to her dormitory.

Too bad it wasn't the last time Kurotsuchi would affect her life.

XoXoXo

"You know, you did the smart thing, not seeking retribution against Captain Urahara or Kurotsuchi," Byakuya said one afternoon a couple of days later, during a break in their training. "Very mature of you."

"Are you implying that I'm immature?" Buffy retorted, laying on her back on a patch of grass. She stared up at the sky; blue, with a few wisps of white clouds. The sun was warm but the air was chill with a bite of autumn as they rested, snacking on some cakes brought out to them for their break.

"Perish the thought," Byakuya replied with a roll of his eyes, snagging a cake. "What do you want to work on next?"

"Kido, I guess," Buffy replied with a shrug. She knew that working on Kido might not have been the best course of action, considering how distracted she was, but it really was the only thing that she still needed a large amount of work on.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Byakuya said warily, glancing over at her. "You've been distracted the last couple of days. I don't want you blowing yourself up."

"Oh please, I haven't blown myself up in over six months," Buffy replied with a snort, rolling over onto her stomach.

"You're still distracted, though," Byakuya said. "I've noticed, especially the last couple of days."

"Like you could tell if I were distracted," Buffy replied.

"Yes, actually, I can," Byakuya said. "After you got kidnapped, I spent a lot of time observing you, making mental notes of your habits so I would know if something was wrong. If I could help it, I would suss out anything that was bothering you before it became an actual problem."

"And that didn't make you sound like a major stalker," Buffy said. "You didn't spy on me while hiding in the shadows, did you? Because that's just too Angel-like for me to be comfortable with."

"I'm not even going to pretend to know what you're talking about," Byakuya said with a shake of his head. "And no, I haven't been hiding in the shadows, spying on you. We _do _spend an inordinate amount of time together. You're supposed to be my tutor, remember?"

"And you're supposed to be mine," Buffy retorted. "I'm not seeing a whole lot of improvement in my Kido."

"The were-cat, I mean, Yoruichi, said that not everyone can perform Kido, and that's okay," Byakuya said. "Besides, you're very advanced in flash steps. I bet the sixth years couldn't catch you."

"That's only because I had the Goddess of Flashing teaching me," Buffy replied, before wrinkling her nose. "I didn't say that right, did I?"

"No, no you didn't," Byakuya replied with a snort which could have been interpreted as a giggle. "But seriously, what's wrong? I might not be able to help, but you already know I'm a good listener."

"Well, you know that Kurotsuchi getting out has been hanging over my head," Buffy began. Byakuya nodded and indicated with a hand motion for her to continue. "Well, I was with Yumichika when I ran into him. He told Ikkaku, and you know how overprotective they get when it comes to me."

"Don't remind me," Byakuya grumbled. Buffy looked at him, curious. "No details, but they kind of sort of maybe threatened me when we first became friends."

"Bastards," Buffy muttered. "Yet another reason for me to kick their asses."

"You need a reason?" Byakuya asked.

"It makes me feel less violent if I have a reason to commit violence," Buffy replied with a shrug.

"So, your brother and that idiot meathead of yours," Byakuya said, bringing the subject back to where it had began. "What did they do now?"

"Nothing, yet," Buffy replied. "Which worries me. They kind of gave each other a look that made me very, very nervous. I told them not to do anything, but when was the last time they listened to me, honestly? Maybe I should have tied them up and kept them in a closet or something."

"And this conversation is heading into rather disturbing territory," Byakuya said with a shiver. "I mean, come on Buffy. I'm an impressionable teenage boy here. You can't be saying things like that around me."

"Like I'm the worst influence on you," Buffy said with a snort. "If your grandfather knew the kinds of things Yoruichi was teaching you he wouldn't let her anywhere near you."

"Shh, he might hear you," Byakuya replied, looking around furtively. "Hey, at least Rangiku and Iba weren't there. You know, you have way too many overprotective people in your life."

"Don't remind me," Buffy replied with a roll of her eyes. She was worried, though. The boys had been acting strangely for the last couple of days, whispering furtively and shutting up whenever she came near. On top of that, they had disappeared earlier in the day and she hadn't seen them since classes had let out.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Byakuya said, getting up. He held a hand out to help Buffy to her feet. "Come on, let's take your mind off of this. Some hand to hand combat should fit the bill just fine."

Buffy allowed Byakuya to help her to her feet and they got into position for a quick spar. However, before either of them could land a blow, Yoruichi flash stepped in between them. Gone was the amused sparkle in her eye and the half smile that graced her face whenever she was around them. In its place was an expression befitting of the captain she was. All business.

"Buffy, you have to come with me," she said quickly. "Your brother and Ikkaku have been arrested for attacking a seated squad member."

Buffy's stomach dropped to her feet. No. No, they couldn't have. They wouldn't have. Oh, those selfish bastards were going to get the full ass kicking treatment when she got to them.

"I swear to God, I'm going to kill them," Buffy snarled.

XoXoXo

**Okay, so here's chapter 19. Yes, I know it's short in the sense that it's only two scenes, but I thought this would be the best place to stop. Next chapter should be up relatively quickly, need to update About the Blood first.**

**I can definitely see the end of the tunnel here, and I'm sorry to say but this part of the story is coming quickly to and end. I'll let you all know when that end is here. Worry not, sequel is in the works, although I need to tinker with it a bit before I post it.**

**Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it. As always, reviews are appreciated, constructive criticism is sought after and flames will be used to toast marshmallows.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"_Buffy, you have to come with me," she said quickly. "Your brother and Ikkaku have been arrested for attacking a seated squad member."__  
_

_Buffy's stomach dropped to her feet. No. No, they couldn't have. They wouldn't have. Oh, those selfish bastards were going to get the full ass kicking treatment when she got to them.___

_"I swear to God, I'm going to kill them," Buffy snarled._

"Do you want to know who they attacked?" Yoruichi asked as they made their way to the Second Division barracks, where they were being held.

"I think I already have a good idea who it was," Buffy replied before relaying everything that had happened in the last couple of days, starting with running into Mayuri Kurotsuchi and the two highest ranking members of the Twelfth Division. "I swear, I should have tied them up and tossed them in a closet or something until they calmed down."

"Like that would have stopped them," Byakuya snorted.

"Remind me again why he had to come along with us?" Buffy asked, shooting a glare over her shoulder.

"He didn't have to, he wanted to," Yoruichi replied. "Please, don't argue like a couple of children. That's the last thing we need right now."

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

"Let's just go, sort this out," Yoruichi said. "If we're lucky, they'll just get kicked out and banned for life."

"If we're _lucky_?" Buffy asked, incredulous. What worse punishment could there be? Well, she supposed that they could be locked up, but since they weren't technically Shinigami she wasn't sure if imprisonment in the Nest of Maggots would be applicable, because from what Buffy understood, the Nest of Maggots was just for Shinigami who would pose a continual threat to Seiretei, other Shinigami and themselves.

_Fat load of help that is,_ Buffy thought. "Do I want to know what the worst case scenario is?"

"No. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that, aye?" Yoruichi said as she continued to lead them.

The remainder of their walk was quiet enough, Buffy trying to formulate a plan and Yoruichi and Byakuya were probably trying to figure out a way to talk Buffy out of any plan she came up with. When they reached the headquarters, Buffy had to use every ounce of self-control to ignore the poisonous glare shot at her by Soi Fon. Buffy knew the other woman couldn't stand her; Buffy wasn't fond of her either, and it was mostly because of the outright hostility the smaller woman showed to her. the other part was because Buffy knew Soi Fon believed Buffy would never be good enough to be friends with Yoruichi, which got her hackles up.

Yoruichi led them down to the holding cells, where the boys were held. Buffy tried not to look too angry, although in reality she was absolutely furious with them. As she tried to understand why they would risk their entire careers just for her, Yoruichi stopped in front one of the cells about halfway down the row. Both of her boys were sharing a cell; Ikkaku was seated on one of the mat like beds and Yumichika in a stiff backed chair.

Neither of them looked particularly apologetic.

"Come and get me when you're finished yelling at them," Yoruichi said, patting Buffy on the shoulder before leaving them alone.

Buffy stared at the boys. They stared back at her, expressions defiant. The seconds of silence ticked by, tense and awkward.

"What the _hell _were you two thinking?" she asked, her voice low. Both Yumichika and Ikkaku gulped, eyes a little wider than normal. They'd learned, many a time, that a quiet, menacing Buffy was much, much more terrifying than a yelling Buffy. "Am I really worth risking that much? Yoruichi told me that the best case scenario is you guys getting a permanent, life long ban from Seiretei. _Life long ban_. And that's the _best _case scenario. Yoruichi didn't want to tell me the worst."

"You _are _worth the risk. We love you," Yumichika said. Ikkaku just grunted. "Okay, _I _love you. Ikkaku doesn't want to kick your ass most of the time, which is the best we can hope for from him."

"What part of 'I can't do this without you guys' didn't you understand?" Buffy asked. "Remember when you said that if I got kicked out, you were going to be coming with me no matter what? Didn't it occur to you that that might go two ways? Where you guys go, I go, even if it means leaving the Academy."

"You can't do that!" Ikkaku exclaimed.

"Why not?" Buffy asked. "Family sticks together. You two are family. I'd die if I never got to see you again, and if you guys get kicked out that's bound to happen. I don't even wanna think about the alternatives."

"We'll find a way," Yumichika said softly. Ikkaku scowled darkly, averting his gaze from her. "We always do."

"Come on Buffy, it's time to go," Yoruichi said, with Byakuya at her side. Buffy sighed; while the prison made her nervous, she didn't want to leave her brother, not yet, but considering it was a captain telling her what to do, even though said captain was a friend of hers, she decided that this would be a good idea to do as she was told.

"Fine," Buffy said with another sigh. With one last glance at Yumichika and Ikkaku, she turned and left. Yoruichi smiled sympathetically as she wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm going to try and do what can to make this as good as possible," she said as she led Buffy back up to the main barracks. "I can't make any promises, but I'm going to fight for them as hard as possible."

"Thanks," Buffy replied gratefully.

"Come on, let's get you home," Byakuya said when they got to the top of the stairs.

"I leave Buffy in your capable hands," Yoruichi said before turning and leaving, probably to go and do captain-y things.

"You didn't have anything to do with this?" Byakuya asked.

"How can you ask me that?" Buffy shot back.

"Don't answer a question with a question," Byakuya retorted. "Just answer mine."

"No, I had absolutely nothing to do with it," Buffy replied. "I told you, I practically ordered them to stay away from him. I thought the whole 'don't leave me, I can't do this without you' speech would be enough. Obviously, it wasn't."

"All right. I just had to check," Byakuya said. "Can't have the son of a captain and royalty consorting with a felon, right?"

"Of course not," Buffy agreed, but it was only half-hearted. If she had, would she have lost at least one of her friends? Not wanting to dwell on it further, she allowed herself to be led back to her dormitory, heading up after a quick good-bye to Byakuya.

XOXOXO

"They did _what_?" Rangiku asked at lunch the next day. She, Buffy and Iba were sitting together in one of the rare lunch periods they had together. She would have told the other girl the previous evening, but she had been off studying or… something. Buffy didn't make it a habit to get too far into her friend's escapades, only telling her to be safe and if she wanted to talk, she had someone available to her. Iba didn't know because Buffy hadn't wanted to go out after getting home, trying to do her homework and failing miserably.

"They attacked Mayuri Kurotsuchi and got arrested," Buffy replied for what seemed to be the umpteenth time.

"I can't believe they'd do something that stupid," Iba said. "I mean, there's stupid and then there's _stupid_, you know?"

"Believe me when I saw I wish it were true," Buffy said with a sigh. "At least they waited this time. That has to say something, right?"

"Not much," Rangiku said with a snort. "What's going to be done to them?"

"I don't know yet," Buffy replied. "Yoruichi is trying to get them the best case scenario, but I'm not holding out much hope. If we're lucky, they'll get kicked out and banned from Seiretei."

"What are _you _going to do?" Rangiku asked, curious.

"I don't know yet," Buffy replied. "It all depends on what happens to them."

"What are you talking about?" Rangiku asked, arching an eyebrow. "You're going to stay at the academy, graduate top of your class and end up as a captain. Right, Iba?"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Iba said. "I mean, you need Bankai to become a captain and we all know how rare that is."

"Not necessarily," Rangiku replied. "Buffy knows a captain who doesn't know Bankai. Right, Buffy?"

"Like I'd be able to beat down and kill a captain using sheer power," Buffy replied with a roll of her eyes. "And I don't _know _him know him. He watched him beat the crap out of Ikkaku and nearly kill him. I know his name and saw him at Kurotsuchi's sentencing hearing. He might have recognized me, but I doubt it."

"You have to admit, though, you kinda know a lot of captains," Iba remarked.

"It's only two," Buffy replied in a small voice. "Well, three if you count Urahara, which I don't. And only one of them actually likes me. Kuchiki only puts up with me because of the teaching thing. If he had it his way, I wouldn't be allowed anywhere near his kid."

"Lucky Byakuya likes you, then," Rangiku said.

"Maybe, but I don't know for how much longer," Buffy replied. At the perplexed looks she got, she explained. "He went with me to see the guys after they got arrested. When I was done he asked me if I had anything to do with the ass kickage. When I said I hadn't, he seemed kind of relieved, I guess. but it makes me think, you know?"

"Don't hurt yourself," Iba joked with a grin.

"Oh shut up," Buffy retorted, sticking her tongue out at him. "As I said, it made me think. If I hadn't been all law-abiding, would he have dropped me like a hot rock?"

"We'll never know," Rangiku said. "But still, if they get kicked out, you're not serious considering leaving with them, are you?"

"I don't know," Buffy replied. "I mean, the only reason I'm here is because of them. We've been together since I dropped in on them three years ago. It wouldn't be right to stay here and have them go off into the wild blue yonder, y'know?"

"But you have a life _here_, you have friends _here_, you're doing well _here_," Rangiku said, her pale blue eyes welling up in tears. Before Buffy could brace herself, Rangiku had thrown herself at her, burying her face into Buffy's neck.

"I think what Rangiku is trying to say is she'll miss you if you decide to leave," Iba said with a chuckle as Rangiku let out a particularly loud sob.

"And you're not?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow at him from over Rangiku's shoulder.

"Of course I'm going to miss you," Iba replied. "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna be a girl about it. I'm upset on the inside."

"You guys have nothing to worry about it yet," Buffy said as she patted Rangiku on the back in an attempt to calm the younger girl. "Nothing's been decided and I'm not making any decisions until that happens. You guys are stuck with me for a little while longer."

XOXOXO

Two weeks had passed since Ikkaku and Yumichika had been arrested. Two weeks had passed since they had heard of anything regarding the kind of sentence they would get. Buffy visited them as often as she was able, and she suspected that if she hadn't been friendly with Yoruichi, her visiting privileges would have been severely reduced. She had never been more thankful for her friendship with the female captain, even if it meant that there were grumblings about her having an unfair advantage over the other students.

The only really dark spot in this period of darkness had come from a surprising source. Out of all her friends, Byakuya had been the least supportive of her. Even Rangiku admitted that family came before everything, and even if this all ended in something she didn't wand, she wasn't going to try and force Buffy's hand. Byakuya, on the other hand, wanted her to sever ties with her boys completely.

"Would you abandon your grandfather in this situation? Or Yoruichi?" Buffy asked. "Would you expect them to do the same?"

"I wouldn't have to worry about that because neither my grandfather nor Yoruichi would do something so heinous," Byakuya retorted with a snort.

"The day you find someone to break the rules for I am going to laugh my ass off," Buffy said.

"The day you officially throw your lot in with them is the day you and I can no longer be friends," Byakuya said. "As the grandson of a captain and the future head of the Kuchiki family, I cannot be seen associating with criminals."

"I'm not a criminal," Buffy replied.

"You are if you associate with them," Byakuya spat, glaring at her.

"Maybe it's for the best then," Buffy said, her voice sad. "Your grandfather thinks I'm less than dirt. The only reason why he puts up with me is because I'm providing a service. Once I'm unable to perform that service anymore, he'll toss me out faster than week old garbage."

"He doesn't believe that," Byakuya said, but there was no conviction in his words.

"And I'm the queen of England," Buffy replied sarcastically. "Look, you've made it obvious how you feel about this. Maybe I should just go."

Buffy got up and was about to leave when she found Yoruichi blocking her path. The captain's expression was as serious as it had been two weeks previous when she had delivered her last bit of unhappy news. However, this time there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"They've made a decision," Yoruichi said. She didn't need to elaborate; they all knew what she was talking about.

"Good or bad?" Buffy asked.

"There's an uphill battle here, but I have hope," Yoruichi replied. "Come on, they haven't made the decision public. If we hurry, we can make it before the announcement is made."

"Let's go then," Buffy said. to her surprise, Byakuya followed along, although it was probably because he wanted to cut ties with her as soon as she made her decision. It stung a little, but after the discussions they had had over the past two weeks, she was hardly surprised.

The walk to the First Division's headquarters was a quiet one and passed far too quickly for Buffy's liking. Yoruichi ushered them in and instructed her and Byakuya to stay out of the way. Apparently, they technically weren't supposed to be there.

"We are here today to hear the fates of these two men," Captain-Commander Yamamoto began, gesturing to Yumichika and Ikkaku, who were seated behind him, chained to their chairs. "The Central 46 have sentenced them to expulsion from the Shinigami Academy."

Buffy's gasp rang out and echoed in the room, causing nearly everyone to turn and glare at her. Ducking her head and blushing, she looked properly chastised as the captains turned back to the Captain-Commander.

"However," he continued, glaring one more time at Buffy, "because of the nature behind the attack, I am allowing them to join the Thirteen Squads, provided they are able to find a captain who is willing to take them in."

"They don't stand a chance," Buffy murmured. "No was in hell they're going to find someone who is going to take them in."

"That's probably why the Captain-Commander set down this sentence," Byakuya murmured back. "A little cruel if you ask me. I'd just toss them out on their asses. Giving them false hope is cruel and unusual punishment."

"They have one week to find a squad," the Captain-Commander continued. "After that, they will be expelled from Seiretei, never allowed to return. Until then, they may tay in a separate dormitory room and have access to their personal belongings. Release them."

The chains binding Ikkaku and Yumichika to their chairs disappeared, and both men sat there for a few moments, stunned. When they were sure that no one was going to drag them off if they moved, they got up and made a beeline across the room to where Buffy was. As soon as they were close enough, Buffy wrapped each of them in a one-armed, bone-crushing hug. Both men wrapped their arms around her, sandwiching her between them. The captains looked on, warmed by the awkward-looking three way hug. Buffy glanced at Byakuya over Yumichika's shoulder; his eyes had turned to stone, cold and unfeeling towards her. As she squeezed her boys tight, she shed a few tears for the friendship that had just ended.

"Come on, let's get you packed up and moved," Buffy said, her voice quiet as she linked arms with her boys, leading them out of the First Division headquarters, a gaggle of captains bemusedly watching them leave.

XOXOXO

"I'm going with you."

"Absolutely not," Yumichika said, shocked. It was the next day, the boys were moved into their new room – jail cell, more like it – and they were now discussion what kinds of options the boys had.

"Why not?' Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow. "It's not like you guys are getting chucked out on the street."

"We will if we can't find anyone to take us," Ikkaku grumbled, glaring at the wall.

"I normally don't like doing this, but I'm pulling the big brother card," Yumichika said firmly, crossing his arms. "You're not throwing away what could be the best thing to happen to you because of me, because of us."

"But I _won't _be throwing my life away because of you," Buffy replied. "I mean, if I end up going with you to whatever squad that takes you, I'll still have, you know, done what I came here to do."

"And if we don't get into a squad?" Ikkaku asked, arching an eyebrow at her. "What are you gonna do then? Start slummin' it with us lowlifes?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you guys don't want me around anymore," Buffy said with a snort. However, while she tried to make her voice light, it hurt that they were pushing her away. First Byakuya, now her boys. Who was next, Iba and Rangiku? Yoruichi?

"That's not it at all," Yumichika said, alarmed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We just don't want to stunt your progress through the squads. Let's face it, if you're seen associating with us you might be stuck on the lowest rungs for a long time."

"But we practically live forever anyway, right?" Buffy asked. "What's a hundred years?"

"Buffy…" Yumichika began uncertainly, but trailed off when Buffy continued.

"Look, I'm not leaving you guys. You took me in, now you're stuck with me," she said. "But how about a compromise? If you guys find a squad, I get to come with you. If you don't, I'll fight tooth and nail but stay here and complete my education. Can you live with that?"

"Not really, I suppose it's the best offer you've given us," Yumichika replied. "What do you think, Ikkaku?"

"Looks like the girl has made up her own mind. Nothing we can do to change it now," Ikkaku replied. He wasn't glaring at the wall anymore, but he was still a little sullen.

"Excellent," Buffy said, rubbing her hands together. "Now, let's find you a squad."

XOXOXO

**Chapter 20 is done, folks. One more chapter and this fic is done. Finito. Completed. It's going to be a short final chapter, tying up most of the loose ends.**

**It's been a great ride, guys. Once this is done, it'll be my longest piece of completed fiction. Not my longest piece of fiction ever (About the Blood takes that prize… if you haven't checked it out yet, you should *shameless plug*), but longest completed is pretty cool.**

**Anyway, let me know what you thought of it. Feedback is my fuel. Thanks for reading.**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"I've found us a squad!"

Yumichika and Buffy looked up from where he was helping her with her homework. Yumichika was bound and determined to make sure Buffy kept her grades up, even though Buffy was certain that she would be joining one of the squads within the week.

"Oh really?" Buffy asked.

"Well, I found one for me and Yumichika," Ikkaku replied. "Eleventh. But the captain doesn't take women."

"Not even women who beat the crap out of one of their seated officers?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"When did you attack a seated officer?" Yumichika asked, surprised. "And why aren't _you _suspended?"

"She's the captain's pet, didn't you know?" Ikkaku asked. "She can do no wrong."

"Okay, I think I'm gonna have to stop smacking you guys on the back of the head, because I swear you both have brain damage," Buffy said, rolling her eyes when she got indignant noises from her boys. "The last guy I fought at my entrance exam was the twentieth seat of the Eleventh Division."

"Wasn't that the guy that knocked you out?" Ikkaku asked.

"He fought dirty," Buffy replied with a scowl. "The bell rang to stop fighting and he punched me after that."

"He still knocked you out," Ikkaku pointed out. Buffy threw a balled up piece of paper at him, cheering slightly when it bounced off of his head.

They'd gone through the rules with a fine-toothed comb once they had realized Buffy was going to whatever squad would take them, whether the boys liked it or not. Thankfully, they found a rule that said a student could leave the academy if a squad offered him or her a position. While the boys now had a squad, Buffy was still a student and might stay that way until she graduated.

"What about that woman from the Second Division?" Yumichika asked. "Wouldn't she be willing to take you on?"

"If her bodyguard didn't hate me so much, maybe," Buffy replied.

"what about that Kuchiki kid?" Ikkaku asked. "Isn't his grandpa or something a captain?"

"Yeah, but he thinks I'm less than dirt," Buffy replied. "Byakuya doesn't want anything to do with me anymore, anyway."

"What happened?" Yumichika asked, concerned. "I thought you two were close."

"A lot has changed since you two were arrested," buffy replied. "He made me choose, him or you guys. I chose you guys."

"Oh, Buffy," Yumichika said sadly, wrapping Buffy in a hug. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I'm okay," Buffy replied. "It's for the best, anyway. If he's going to make me choose between my friends and my family, I don't anything to do with him, anyway."

"This still doesn't solve the problem if you not having a squad to go to," Ikkaku said. "Looks like you're going to be stuck here for a while. Don't worry, we'll visit, though. As often as we can, promise."

"I'm not licked yet," Buffy said, a determined glint in her eye. "When's your first squad meeting?"

"Tomorrow afternoon," Yumichika replied. "Why?"

"I have a plan," Buffy replied with a smirk.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Ikkaku muttered darkly under his breath, shaking his head.

XOXOXO

The next afternoon found Yumichika, Buffy and Ikkaku walking down the corridor to the Eleventh Division's meeting room. Both Yumichika and Ikkaku exchanged worried glances over Buffy's head, but she was either unaware or ignoring them. She strode confidently between her boys, chin held high as she walked. As she swung her arms, her hand kept brushing up against the sword that now hung on her left hip.

She'd been having weird dreams for ages about a tall African woman who had been trying to speak to her, to try and tell her something, but the words kept on coming out as gibberish. Night after night the words began to make sense except for one, the woman's name. It kept on coming out as static until the previous night, when Buffy had been able to decipher the name. That morning, she woke up to find a handsome katana, shiny and new, laying on the bed next to her.

Buffy took this as a sign that she was going down the right path.

The boys closed ranks around her as they approached the meeting room, keeping her between them and back slightly as they entered, so that they could shield her if necessary.

Over a hundred pairs of eyes focused on Ikkaku and Yumichika as they entered, except for the ones that belonged to the captain. Instead, Captain Kenpachi Zaraki focused his attention on the tiny blonde woman between his two newest squad members, partially hidden by their taller forms.

"She wasn't part of the deal, guys," he said, his eyebrows raised. "Mind explainin' to me why you're bringin' her in here all willy-nilly?"

"I can speak for myself, thanks," Buffy replied, pushing her boys out of the way so that she was no longer hidden by them.

"Independent. Won't bow down to no one," Zaraki commented with a nod. "I can respect that. It's not good enough to get into this squad, though. You gotta know how to fight and let's face it, little girls can't fight."

"Okay, one, I'm not little. Two, that was kinda, okay, a lot sexist," Buffy retorted. "And three, I can so fight. Go ahead and ask one of your twentieth seats. Himura or something?"

"Get your ass up here, Himura," Zaraki said. The beefy, dreadlocked man made his way to the center of the room. "This little imp here is saying she can fight. That true?"

"She could hold her own," Himura replied. "Until a knocked her out, that is."

"Bell rang. The rules said you had to stop fighting when the bell rang. I stopped, he didn't," Buffy replied. "I lived, didn't I?"

"You should learn something very quickly, you little pixie," Zaraki said. "Not everyone is honourable. Not everyone plays by the rules. If you're constantly on your guard you won't be knocked out by a random fist to the face."

"I know that n-" Buffy began, but was cut off abruptly by a blade bearing down on her head. On instinct, Buffy dodged out of the way, rolling across the floor. When she was back on her feet, her sword was drawn and she was in a battle-ready position.

"Not bad, not bad," Zaraki said. "But anyone can dodge. I want to see you fight. Not me, of course, 'cause I don't want to kill ya, but Himura looks like he's itching for a rematch."

The smile on Himura's face would have made her nervous if she was anyone else. However, she'd faced down fledglings scarier than this gut and had already proved that she could hold her own against him. She was certain she would come out victorious this time.

"Rules are unreleased Zanpakutos only, no Kido, bloodshed but no death," Zaraki continued. "Ready? Let's do this, then."

Himura let out a loud battle cry before charging at her, sword raised high. An easily avoidable attack, Buffy dodged it with little effort. From that moment, the fight was well and truly on.

Buffy tried to ignore the audience she had and just concentrated on the fight. It almost reminded her of when the Watcher's Council had come to Sunnydale with information on Glory, information they were unwilling to part with unless she had passed their examination. All those eyes on her, everyone judging and evaluating her, trying to figure out if she was good enough, worthy enough. At least this time around she got to use her own fighting style from the start.

Their fighting styles were vastly different; Himura's was very jerky and in your face, hit first, hit hard and hit fast. Buffy's was more flowing and artistic, incorporating punches, kicks and flips. Both unique, both worked for the respective combatant and both effective and deadly.

A particularly hard kick to Himura's chest sent him flying across the room. The only thing that stopped him was the wall, the plaster cracking upon impact. She was on him in an instant, the point of her sword nudging his Adam's apple.

"I think I win," Buffy said with a smirk. With her sword tip still brushing against Himura's throat, Buffy turned to captain. At his nod, she removed her sword and returned it to its sheath as Himura got to his feet. As soon as he was stable, his meaty fist went flying through the air, headed straight for Buffy's temple. This time, however, she was ready for it, catching the fist in her tiny, feminine hand.

"Did you really think I was going to fall for that twice?" she asked, cocking her eyebrow at Himura as she squeezed his knuckles. When he grimaced in pain, she dropped his fist.

"Welcome to the Eleventh Division… er… what's your name, anyway?" Zaraki asked. Ikkaku and Yumichika looked on, stunned into silence but there were pleased expressions on their faces.

"Ayasegawa. Buffy Ayasegawa," Buffy replied.

"Welcome to the Eleventh Division, Buffy Ayasegawa," Zaraki said. "Now, let's get this show on the road, eh? I got things to do."

Buffy made her way to Yumichika and Ikkaku as the meeting continued. She knew there was going to be a boatload of paperwork waiting for her, but that could wait for a couple of days as she basked in the warmth of beginning a new phase in her life.

Later that afternoon, after the meeting was over, Zaraki pulled Buffy aside.

"I was gonna let you in as soon as I saw you walk in that door," he said. "I'd heard about you, known about you for ages. Besides, it took balls of brass to waltz in here like you did. I can respect that."

"Umm, thanks," Buffy said, not quite sure what else to say as the little girl with the pink hair climbed down from her perch on Zaraki's shoulder.

"I'm Yachiru," the girl introduced herself. "Can I call you Buffy-chan? Or Pixie?"

"Sure," Buffy replied, bewildered.

"Good, 'cause I was gonna do it anyway," Yachiru replied. "Come on, I wanna show you my toys."

Before Buffy could react, Yachiru had grabbed Buffy by the hand and was dragging her out of the meeting room, followed by the chuckles of her new captain and amused expressions from her boys.

"Don't be too long," Zaraki called after her. "You still have to fix the wall you broke!"

**THE END**

**Wow, is it satisfying to write those two little words, even though this saga is far from over. For those of you who have missed the memo, this is going to be a three part series, each part covering a different period in Buffy's life. There is going to be a very long time period that passed between the end of this story and the beginning of the next.**

**For those of you who feel that some things have been left unresolved, I'm sorry you feel that way. However, as I've said, this is a three part series. I have to leave **_**something **_**for the other stories, right? :P**

**I'd like to thank you all for reading, reviewing and emailing me, from the encouragement to the plot ideas, from the prodding to the bribing. Again, thank you.**

**I don't know when the sequel is going to be posted; I started it in November of last year, but since I've finished this there are some details that need to be integrated into the sequel, so I need to do some tinkering before I can even think about putting the story out for public consumption.**

**The sequel is called "Sunnydale Shinigami".**

**As always, feedback is awesome. Flames will be used to toast marshmallows. Speculation will not be confirmed and anyone asking for future plot points/timelines will be bitched at. I'm not kidding.**


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